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Heart Disease (Expert Forum)
Re: How Can EP Specialists Be So Precise?
This forum is for questions and support regarding heart issues such as: Angina, Angioplasty, Arrhythmia, Bypass Surgery, Cardiomyopathy, Coronary Artery Disease, Defibrillator, Heart Attack, Heart Disease, High Blood Pressure, Mitral Valve Prolapse, Pacemaker, PAD, Stenosis, Stress Tests.
Re: How Can EP Specialists Be So Precise?
by CCF Cardio MD - MTR, Jan 01, 1995 12:00AM
Posted By CCF CARDIO MD - MTR on March 21, 1999 at 20:48:56:
In Reply to: How Can EP Specialists Be So Precise? posted by db on March 21, 1999 at 13:37:59:
I am considering having an ablation for svt. I was just wondering how the EP Specialists can be so precise so as not to ablate
the av node. Can they actually see the node to know that they might be dangerously close? Can you recommend a good
hospital/specialist in the Los Angeles area? I have heard good things about Good Samaritan. Thank you.
Dear DB, thank you for your question. During an ablation procedure, there is a risk of damaging the AV node and causing complete heart block. If this happens, a permanent pacemaker is usually needed. However, the EP specialists are very skilled at doing these procedures, so the risk of damaging the AV node is small (< 5%). A small catheter is inserted into the right side of the heart to map the extra electrical pathway(s) that are causing SVT. This catheter is also used to deliver focal radio wave energy to the abnormal tissue to destroy it and eliminate the arrhythmia. If the extra electrical pathways are too close to the AV node, the ablation will not be attempted to prevent damage from occurring to the AV node. The EP doctors use these catheters to accurately deliver radio wave energy for an ablation procedure and constantly evaluate the catheter position with flouroscopy. I don't personally know any EP specialists in the L.A. area, but I suggest that you look at Cedars Sinai or UCLA which both have excellent departments of cardiology and should have good EP divisions.
I hope you find this information useful. Information provided in the heart forum is for general purposes only. Only your physician can provide specific diagnoses and therapies. Please feel free to write back with additional questions. Good luck!
If you would like to make an appointment at the Cleveland Clinic Heart Center, please call 1-800-CCF-CARE or inquire online by using the Heart Center website at www.ccf.org/heartcenter. The Heart
Center website contains a directory of the cardiology staff that can be used to select the physician best suited to address your cardiac problem.
In Reply to: How Can EP Specialists Be So Precise? posted by db on March 21, 1999 at 13:37:59:
I am considering having an ablation for svt. I was just wondering how the EP Specialists can be so precise so as not to ablate
the av node. Can they actually see the node to know that they might be dangerously close? Can you recommend a good
hospital/specialist in the Los Angeles area? I have heard good things about Good Samaritan. Thank you.
Dear DB, thank you for your question. During an ablation procedure, there is a risk of damaging the AV node and causing complete heart block. If this happens, a permanent pacemaker is usually needed. However, the EP specialists are very skilled at doing these procedures, so the risk of damaging the AV node is small (< 5%). A small catheter is inserted into the right side of the heart to map the extra electrical pathway(s) that are causing SVT. This catheter is also used to deliver focal radio wave energy to the abnormal tissue to destroy it and eliminate the arrhythmia. If the extra electrical pathways are too close to the AV node, the ablation will not be attempted to prevent damage from occurring to the AV node. The EP doctors use these catheters to accurately deliver radio wave energy for an ablation procedure and constantly evaluate the catheter position with flouroscopy. I don't personally know any EP specialists in the L.A. area, but I suggest that you look at Cedars Sinai or UCLA which both have excellent departments of cardiology and should have good EP divisions.
I hope you find this information useful. Information provided in the heart forum is for general purposes only. Only your physician can provide specific diagnoses and therapies. Please feel free to write back with additional questions. Good luck!
If you would like to make an appointment at the Cleveland Clinic Heart Center, please call 1-800-CCF-CARE or inquire online by using the Heart Center website at www.ccf.org/heartcenter. The Heart
Center website contains a directory of the cardiology staff that can be used to select the physician best suited to address your cardiac problem.
