Had an EP study done

For the longest time we could not figure out my heart problem, I had an EP study done and found out i had two arrhythmias and an extra current through my heart. They burned my two arrhythmia and said it should be gone but can come back. They left extra current alone and said ill always have a fast heart beat. But said I can have a stroke in the future. I still have some of my symptoms they have gotten better but the doctor said I'm cured and I dont need them anymore. What does this all mean?

[kenkeith]

The sinus node in the left atrium is the source for your heart's pace. If it is a problem, a an independant pacemaker can be implanted. Normal heart rate is 60 to 100 at rest.  

There are normal pathways that an electrical impulse follows to contract the chamber walls, etc.  Sometimes there are extra pathways that the electrical impulse abnormally may follow and that can disrupt normal heartbeats and cause arrhythmia (irregular beats).   The extra pathways have been destroyed, and the electrical current can flow normally and there should not be any arrhythmia.

Thank you for sharing, and if you have any followup questions feel free to ask.  Take care.

[ed34]

"For the longest time we could not figure out my heart problem"

Just out of interest, why doesn't a normal ECG pick this up? Is it that one signal is so close behind the other it looks invisible?

Many thanks

[kenkeith]

The results of an extra pathway is the distinquishing factor at least sometimes. As you state the resting ECG can be normal,  but it can show evidence of the pathway's existence if extra path allows some of the atrial depolarization to pass quickly to the ventricle before it gets though the AV node (node delays cardiac impulses from the sinoatrial node to allow the atria to contract and empty their contents first). The ECG output can show early depolarization of part of the ventricle leads to a shortened PR interval and a vague start to the QRS. "The QRS is narrow; the message via the AV node eventually predominates because it uses the rapid conducting system to depolarize most of the ventricle".

If there are extra pathways along the septum, that could slow, speed or block the impulse is the way I understand it.

[ed34]

If the ventricles depolarise before the atria have fully polarised, or are still in depolarisation mode, then would the pressure from the larger chambers, i.e. the ventricles, force the valves closed between the atria/ventricles to prevent back flow ?

[kenkeith]

I agree. We know the EKG 'PR interval' is the electrical representation of the atria filling and pumping and the QRS interval represents the ventricals' activity, and the EKG delineation is vague or slurred with PR and QRS meaning atria hasn't completed its activity before the start of ventricular activity.  It seems reasonable there is some-time overlap with atria pumping (MV open at least partially) and aorta valve compliance providing the adequate intra-ventricular pressures as you state. There are pre-load pressures to consider as well as afterload pressure.