Arrhythmias

Atrial flutter

Atrial flutter occurs when the heart's upper chambers beat rapidly and irregularly, causing the heart to quiver. This affects the heart's ability to pump blood efficiently.

Bradycardia

Bradycardia involves a slow, disorganized heartbeat, typically falling below 50 beats per minute. This impairs the heart's ability to pump blood, causing fatigue and limiting the ability to be physically active. This disorder can have no symptoms, but it can cause fatigue and limited ability to be physically active.

Fainting (syncope)

Fainting is a brief loss of consciousness – from a few seconds to a few minutes – that comes on suddenly. It is caused by decreased blood flow to the brain.

Heart palpitations

Heart palpitations are instances where the heart seems to flutter, skip a beat or beat more rapidly. Although these sensations might be unsettling, they are generally not indicative of a serious condition. The most common causes can be triggered by a variety of factors, such as stress, caffeine consumption and dehydration.

Long QT syndrome (LQTS)

LQTS is a disorder of the heart’s electrical activity that can cause sudden, uncontrollable arrhythmias, increasing the risk of fainting, seizures or even sudden death.

Sudden cardiac arrest

This emergency happens when the heart suddenly stops beating, leading to no breathing and loss of consciousness. It’s often due to an electrical issue that prevents the heart from pumping blood effectively. While diagnosing beforehand is difficult because the condition occurs suddenly, immediate treatment is crucial to restart the heart.

Tachycardia

Tachycardia refers to a fast heart rate, typically over 100 beats per minute at rest, which can disrupt normal heart function and blood flow. Ventricular tachycardia and supraventricular tachycardia are the most common types. If left untreated, tachycardia can lead to heart failure, sudden cardiac arrest, and stroke.

Cardiac electrophysiology (EP)

EP evaluates the heart’s electrical activity to diagnose abnormal heartbeats or arrhythmias. It Involves inserting catheters into the heart through a vein to measure electrical signals. Additionally, EP helps to identify the specific type of arrhythmia and guides treatment decisions.

Learn more about electrophysiology

Catheter ablation

Catheter ablation assesses the heart’s electrical activity to diagnose abnormal heartbeats or arrhythmias. Electrical signals are measured by inserting catheters into the heart through a vein to help identify a patient’s specific type of arrhythmia to inform doctors on how best to treat the condition.

Device implants

Through minimally invasive procedures, devices can be implanted to monitor heart rhythms and automatically adjust to treat a patient’s condition. These devices can consist of:

• Pacemakers: Manage slow heart rates (bradycardia) by emitting electrical pulses.
• Implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICD): Prevent sudden death from ventricular arrhythmias by delivering shocks.
• Biventricular pacemakers: Treat heart failure by coordinating the beating of both heart ventricles.
• Cardiac loop recorders: Continuously record heart rhythm to diagnose intermittent arrhythmias.

Pacemakers

Pacemakers prevent symptoms associated with slow heart rates, such as fatigue and fainting, by maintaining a normal heart rhythm. Traditional pacemakers are connected to the heart with leads, placed under the skin while leadless pacemakers are implanted directly into the heart.

Tilt testing

Tilt testing helps to diagnose the cause of unexplained fainting spells. By tilting a person at different angles, blood pressure, heart rhythm and heart rate are monitored to help develop a tailored treatment plan.