Cardioversion

Heart rhythm specialists (electrophysiologists) from The Heart Group of Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health expertly use cardioversion to help people experiencing heart arrhythmias. We use the latest medications and technology to get a fast or irregular heartbeat back into a safe rhythm.

What Is Cardioversion?

Cardioversion disrupts electrical impulses in your heart that are causing an arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat). We offer electrical cardioversion to deliver safe electric shocks to your heart.

Why You Might Need Cardioversion

You may need cardioversion if you have atrial fibrillation (A-Fib). This arrhythmia causes your heart’s upper chambers (atria) to pump too fast or quiver. The chamber can’t send blood to the lower chambers (ventricles) as they should.

Cardioversion also treats other arrhythmias that cause a fast heartbeat, such as:

• Atrial flutter
• Supraventricular tachycardia

Cardioversion: The Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health Advantage

Cardioversion restores a healthy heartbeat, but it doesn’t treat the cause of the arrhythmia. At the Heart & Vascular Institute, we offer the latest arrhythmia treatments at the region’s only dedicated Electrophysiology (EP) Clinic.

You benefit from:

• Advanced diagnostics: Our heart rhythm specialists expertly perform EP studies to pinpoint where the faulty electrical activity originates. This information helps us determine which type of cardioversion is right for you.
• Comprehensive heart rhythm treatments: We have a full suite of treatments to help your heart maintain a healthy rhythm. You may benefit from a heart ablation or a heart rhythm device like a pacemaker, leadless pacemaker or implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD). Because A-Fib can cause blood clots and strokes, we offer the WATCHMAN™ device to lower this risk.
• Cutting-edge therapies: We actively lead and participate in heart and vascular clinical trials and research. You may be able to try a new arrhythmia treatment before it’s widely available to the public.

What to Expect When You Get Electrical Cardioversion

You may need to take blood-thinning medications for a few weeks before cardioversion to lower the risk of blood clots and stroke. If electrical cardioversion doesn’t restore a normal heart rhythm, you may need a pacemaker, implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) or another treatment.

Cardioversion takes place in our hospital while you’re under IV sedation. You may go home the same day or spend the night.

Contact Us

To learn more about our EP Clinic and cardioversion treatments, call 717-544-8300.