Page Content
Physicians often describe the heart as having a plumbing system and an electrical system. Problems with the heart’s plumbing system may lead to a heart attack while problems with the electrical system cause irregular heart rhythms.
The new Electrophysiology (EP) Lab at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center is on the cutting edge of treating the heart’s electrical system. It’s the only lab of its kind in the western United States and provides faster and safer treatment for heart rhythm patients.
The new lab uses GPS-based equipment to accurately pinpoint the spot in the heart that is generating an irregular rhythm. Physicians can then ablate, or burn, the area to interrupt that signal. Having pinpoint accuracy decreases the chances of unnecessary scar tissue and proves to be better for a patient’s overall heart health.
Radiation exposure to patients in the new lab will be up to 80 percent lower than what takes place today. Physicians use devices containing tiny sensors that emit an electromagnetic signal. Tracking these signals on pre-recorded images allows doctors to avoid using prolonged fluoroscopy during the procedure, thus reducing the radiation exposure.
The Heart Services team at Utah Valley Regional is dedicated to providing the highest-quality care to heart rhythm patients from across Utah and beyond in this state-of-the-art EP lab.
Services Available in the Electrophysiology Lab
Ablation is a technique used to treat abnormalities of the heart's electrical system that has caused the heart to beat fast, irregularly, or with too many extra beats. It involves ablating (destroying) a very small, targeted area of the heart muscle. By destroying the area responsible for the abnormal rhythm, ablation restores a normal heartbeat.
An electrocardiogram, or EKG, is a simple, painless test that records the heart's electrical activity. To understand this test, it helps to understand how the heart works.
With each heartbeat, an electrical signal spreads from the top of the heart to the bottom. As it travels, the signal causes the heart to contract and pump blood. The process repeats with each new heartbeat. The heart's electrical signals set the rhythm of the heartbeat.
Electrophysiology study is an invasive test that allows doctors to determine the details of abnormal heartbeats, or arrhythmias. The study involves placing wire electrodes in the heart to measure electrical activity along the heart's conduction system and in heart muscle cells themselves.
An intracardiac echo (ICE) involves inserting a tiny catheter with an ultrasound sensor into a blood vessel, then passing it into the heart to enhance the images of the internal structures of the heart. ICD is often used to provide guidance as devices or balloons are placed into the heart.
If a cardiac lead or pacemaker lead is infected, not working or surrounded by too much scar tissue, it may need to be removed. Laser Lead Extraction uses special catheter-guided lasers. It cold, controlled laser energy to free the lead from surrounding scar tissue. This lets the doctor safely remove the lead with little risk of damaging the heart.
A pacemaker monitors the electrical impulses in the heart. When needed, it delivers electrical pulses to make the heart beat in a more normal rhythm. A pacemaker may be helpful when the heart beats too slowly or has other abnormal rhythms. An ICD is a device that monitors heart rhythms. If it senses dangerous rhythms, it delivers shocks. Many ICDs record the heart's electrical patterns when there is an abnormal heartbeat. This can help the doctor plan future treatment.
An implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) is a small device that's placed in your chest or abdomen. This device uses electrical pulses or shocks to help control life-threatening, irregular heartbeats, especially those that could lead the heart to suddenly stop beating. An ICD is similar to a pacemaker, but there are some differences. Pacemakers can only give off low-energy electrical pulses. They are often used to treat less dangerous heart rhythms, such as those that occur in the upper chambers of your heart. Most new ICDs can act as both pacemakers and ICDs.
For Septal Ablation, a doctor injects ethanol (a type of alcohol) through a catheter into the small artery that supplies blood to the thickened area of heart muscle. The alcohol kills cells, and the thickened tissue shrinks to a more normal size. This allows blood to flow freely through the ventricle, and symptoms improve.