St Vincents Private Hospitals

Electrophysiological studies is a type of test that is used to examine the electrical activity in your heart in greater detail. It can diagnose and treat a wide range of abnormal heart rhythms. The heart naturally produces a series of electrical impulses which control the pace of your heartbeat. These currents also help keep the blood flowing effectively around your body. EP studies provide a detailed map of the electrical pathways that the heart uses every time it beats. This information can then be used to determine the cause of an irregular heart rhythm (arrythmia), or an abnormally fast heart rate (tachycardia). The same procedure can be used to provide treatment.

How does it work?

EP studies work by guiding a number of small thin catheters along the artery to the heart, using a special type of X-ray machine. The catheters are used to deliver electrical impulses that stimulate the heart and prompt an accelerated heartbeat. The spread of electrical impulses are then carefully mapped to help your doctor understand which part of the heart is causing the abnormal heart rhythm. During the procedure, your doctor may deliver certain medication that impact the electrical activity in specific areas to see how it affects your condition. Once your heart condition has been diagnosed, your doctor may recommend cardiac ablation as an appropriate treatment pathway. This can be performed within the same procedure.