Heart Rhythm Disorders

The Most Popular Rhythm: Atrial Fibrillation

Atrial Fibrillation is the most common, sustained cardiac rhythm disorder. The incidence and prevalence of atrial fibrillation increases with age. Upward of 3 million people have atrial fibrillation. It is characterized by a rapid and irregular heartbeat that can be symptomatic with palpitations, dizziness, shortness of breath, fatigue, exercise limitation or chest discomfort. In other patients, atrial fibrillation is asymptomatic. Patients are unaware that they have the disorder and it is diagnosed via electrocardiogram (ECG) during routine clinic visits.

Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy/Dysplasia (ARVC/D)

Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy/Dysplasia (ARVC/D) is an inherited condition that causes abnormal heart rhythms. ARVC/D may account for up to 20 percent of cases of sudden death among young people.

About this Site

This site provides information about ARVC/D for patients and physicians. Patients can learn about symptoms, potential treatments, and get answers to many common questions.

Information for patients

Catheter ablation procedures

Overview

Catheters are placed into groin veins (and sometimes artery) and advanced into the heart to analyze the heart’s electrical system, induce the abnormal heart rhythm, identify the site responsible for the abnormal heart rhythm and cauterize (ablate) this site thus eliminating the abnormal heart rhythm.

Success rates: for many common arrhythmias this is > 90%, for atrial fibrillation and other complex arrhythmias 60 – 80%.

MRI Scans Now Safely Done

MRI Scans Now Safely Done on Selected Pacemaker and ICD Patients

By Peter Ott, MD, associate professor of medicine, Division of Cardiology

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a powerful diagnostic tool that can produce highly detailed, images of virtually any area in the body. Unlike other diagnostic imaging tools, such as X-ray or CT scans, it does not use radiation. MRI uses a powerful magnetic field and delivers strong radiofrequency energy pulses to generate its images.

Electrical Cardioversion

Overview

Using special skin patch electrodes, applied to the chest, an electroshock is delivered to the heart to stop an abnormal heart rhythm (typically atrial fibrillation) and establish a normal heart rhythm.

Success rate: >90%

Potential complications

These are rare and occur at < 1-2% of patients: Stroke (see comment below) and minor, transient skin burning. There may also be risks related to sedation, and there may be the need to administer more than one shock.

Treating Atrial Fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation is such a very common heart rhythm problem, particularly in people over the age of 70, that its treatment deserves special mention. As in all heart rhythm problems, medications may be sufficient to control symptoms. If medications are insufficient, then an ablation may be recommended. There are two different types of ablations that are performed for atrial fibrillation:

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