Springfield, IL -(Effingham Radio)- If your heart skips a beat, it might not mean love at first sight. It can signal a serious cardiac issue. Fortunately, tests can pinpoint the problem. One of the most common is an electrophysiology study (EPS) which can diagnose irregular heartbeats called arrhythmias. Here’s what you should know.
If your heart beats too fast or beats in an uneven pattern, your doctor may recommend an EPS. The test can help them figure out what’s going on—and what to do about it.
Irregular heartbeats are important to understand. If your heart beats too fast, it might not be able to pump blood effectively. This can result in cardiac arrest. If your heart beats irregularly, blood can pool in the upper chambers of the heart. When this happens, blood clots can form. And those blood clots can travel, causing a stroke.
Eric Bolinger, a heart care patient with Ziad Issa, MD and Jeffery Goldstein, MD, was in for a routine office visit when an abnormal rhythm appeared on his EKG.
“I struggled to understand what was wrong with me before going to Prairie. It seemed like no one knew what was going on with my body,” said Bolinger. “Both Dr. Goldstein and Dr. Issa were invested in getting to the bottom of my situation. I was given different treatment options and EPS (electrophysiology study) was one. I felt my feedback was valued by my physicians at Prairie.”
Ziad Issa, MD, a cardiologist with Prairie Cardiovascular says, “We wanted to make sure Eric was comfortable by giving him plenty of treatment options including both conservative treatments and procedures. During EPS, the patient is mildly sedated and receives a local anesthetic. Electrode catheters are then threaded into the heart and these electrodes let your doctor send signals through the heart and record its activity.”
An EPS can help diagnose specific kinds of arrhythmia. It’s especially effective in diagnosing tachycardia (fast heart rate) and bradycardia (slow heart rate). The data can help you and your doctor decide what treatment may be right for you. That might be medication, a pacemaker, or an implantable cardioverter defibrillator. Cardiac ablation and surgery are options too.
“My life has changed so much since my procedure at Prairie,” said Bolinger. “I have gone from thinking I have something wrong with me that can’t be fixed to now fully understanding my situation and knowing there are treatment options thanks to the physicians at Prairie.”
EPS can help find potentially dangerous problems with your heart. Talk to your care team about the details of your test.
“I would not change my experience for anything,” said Bollinger. “My life is forever changed thanks to this procedure and my wonderful physicians.”
The doctors of Prairie specialize in advanced, minimally invasive procedures that have fewer risks and quicker recovery times than traditional procedures. Prairie cardiologists work in cooperation with each patient’s primary care physician to ensure cardiovascular care is tailored to the patient’s individual needs.
Call 888-4PRAIRIE or visit www.Prairieheart.org to schedule your appointment with one of the doctors of Prairie at their new office in Edwardsville today.
Source: American Heart Association
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