Heart rhythm specialists (electrophysiologists) with The Heart Group of Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health perform advanced electrophysiology (EP) studies in the Lancaster region’s only EP clinic. These studies evaluate the electrical activity that keeps your heart beating in proper rhythm. A problem with your heart’s electrical signals can cause an abnormal heartbeat or rhythm called an arrhythmia.
What Are EP Studies?
EP studies use thin wires and catheters to test the heart’s electrical signals. Doctors advance them through the leg veins to specific areas in the heart.
Our doctors use 3D cardiac mapping technology to guide them as they place the catheters. We use this advanced technology instead of X-rays to make our EP studies safer since you’re not exposed to radiation. Most EP studies are outpatient procedures, which means you go home the same day.
EP studies help our doctors determine:
- Where an arrhythmia originates in the heart
- Where electrical signals travel in the heart chambers
- Which arrhythmia treatments will work the best for your unique situation
- The effectiveness of prior heart arrhythmia treatments
Depending on the study findings, our doctors may perform a heart ablation at the same time as your EP test. Ablation stops an arrhythmia by cauterizing (treating with heat) the heart tissue that’s sending faulty electrical signals.
Why You Might Need an Electrophysiology Study
An arrhythmia can cause a wide array of symptoms and sometimes even affects your heart’s ability to pump blood efficiently. It can also put you at risk for heart failure, stroke and other problems. Our doctors perform EP studies to pinpoint the cause of common and complex arrhythmias, including:
- Atrial fibrillation (A-Fib): The most common type of arrhythmia, A-Fib, occurs when the heart’s upper chambers (atria) pump out of sync with the lower chambers (ventricles). You experience a fast or quivering (irregular) heartbeat. A-Fib can increase your risk of blood clots and strokes.
- Bradycardia: There’s a problem with the heart’s electrical signals, causing a slow heartbeat.
- Tachycardias: A problem with electrical signals causes the heart to beat too fast.
A Different Type of EP Study: Implantable Loop Recorders
Arrhythmias that come and go or cause fainting (known as syncope) aren’t always detectable or captured at the time of an EP study. You may benefit from an implantable loop recorder, which functions like a round-the-clock mini-ECG. The device can record your heart’s electrical activity for several years.
Our EP team places this small heart monitor underneath the skin on your chest near your heart. The device automatically captures information about your heartbeats, but you’ll also have a handheld device to activate the recorder any time you have symptoms. A transmitter device at your home remotely sends data from the recorder to our EP team.
Contact Us
EP studies take place at our EP Clinic located on the second floor of Lancaster General Hospital. To learn more about EP studies, call 717-544-8300.