ARTICLE
Electrophysiological study and catheter ablation procedure NORMAL CONDUCTION AND STIMULATION SYSTEM OF HEART MAY COMPROMISE DUE TO VARIOUS REASONS. SOMETIMES, CONGENITAL ACCESSORY PATHWAYS LEAD TO SHORT CIRCUITS, RESULTING IN ACCELERATED HEART RATE, ALSO KNOWN AS TACHYCARDIA.
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What is the heart’s electrical system? Our heart has an electrical conduction system that is similar to power network of a city. In fact, the stimuli signaled from the main center (sinus node), which is located at right atrium, pass an intermediary station (atrioventricular node) between atria and ventricles following a short latent time and ultimately they spread to the ventricles again via specialized conduction
MAR.APR 2021
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Why do the disruptions occur in the heart’s electrical system? Normal conduction and stimulation system of heart may compromise due to various reasons. Sometimes, congenital accessory pathways lead to short circuits, resulting in accelerated heart rate, also known as tachycardia. Moreover, extra-nodal stimulations can be emitted, which implies any signal arising out of any region of heart, excluding above specified main stimulation center, and thus, heart rate increases.
What is electrophysiological diagnosis method?
Professor Fatih Duhan Bayran he last two decades have witnessed significant developments in the diagnosis and management of arrhythmias, most people with an abnormal heart rhythm can lead a normal life if it is properly diagnosed. Diagnosing the type of the arrhythmias is the key to the treatment. Today, most of the advance heart centers use Electrophysiology studies (EPS) to test the electrical activity of your heart to find where an arrhythmia (abnormal heartbeat) is coming from. This can help doctors to decide whether patient needs medicine, a pacemaker, ICD, catheter ablation or surgery for arrhythmias. Cardiologist Professor Fatih Duhan Bayran M.D. explains heart’s electrical system and how to find and fix the problems of the rate or rhythm of the heartbeat with advanced methods.
means. Therefore, the electrical stimulation generated in the main center is conducted to all cardiac muscle (myocardial) cells and the heart is contracted.
For patients with complaint of palpitation (in the form of accelerated heart rate), the underlying cause of the complaint, the accelerated beats, is determined by generating stimuli using wires, which are advanced into the cardiac chambers using special methods (number of wires may vary between 2 to 4 wires depending on the aim of the study and type of the rhythm disorder).
This diagnostic method, called electrophysiological study, investigates deviations by recording electrical signals directly on heart and by evaluating them after a catheter, also referred as electrode, is inserted through fine sheaths, which are inserted into the vessel located at inguinal and/or cervical region, to cardiac chamber(s). Thus, it is possible to understand whether main stimulation center of the heart and conduction systems function well. Thus, if short circuit(s) is/are determined, punctuate energy is delivered with radio-waves and palpitation is completely eliminated. Or, if only one focus is responsible for palpitation, radio-waves are delivered and it is eliminated. This procedure is referred as catheter ablation. This method enabled elimination of most palpitations (tachycardia) permanently.
How does the electrophysiological diagnosis method affect the patient and how long does it take? You may feel palpitation when test stimulations are emitted to the intra-cardiac chambers during electrophysiological study. Or, you may have the same feeling when palpitation, the original complaint, is induced with electrical
