Ventricular Tachycardia

For this procedure, small sticky patches called electrodes are attached to the chest, arms, and legs. These electrodes are connected to the ECG machine by wires. The ECG machine records the heart’s electrical activity for a minute or so. The patient is lying down during this ECG.

During the test the patient exercises by walking on a treadmill or pedaling a stationary bicycle while the ECG is recorded. This test assesses changes in the ECG during activities, such as exercise, that cause stress.

A test in which a small, thin tube (catheter) is inserted in a large blood vessel in the leg or arm and advanced to the heart. This gives the doctor the capability of finding the site of the arrhythmia’s origin within the heart tissue, thus determining how to best treat it. Sometimes an attempt to treat the arrhythmia may be made by doing an ablation at the time of the study. 

A continuous ECG recording done over a period of 24 or more hours. Electrodes are attached to the patient’s chest and connected to a small portable ECG recorder by lead wires. The patient goes about his or her usual daily activities (except for activities such as taking a shower, swimming, or any activity causing an excessive amount of sweating that would cause the electrodes to become loose or fall off) during this procedure. Holter monitoring may be done when an arrhythmia is suspected but not seen on a resting ECG, since arrhythmias may be transient in nature and not seen during the shorter recording times of the resting ECG.

This is similar to a Holter monitor, but the ECG is recorded only when the patient starts the recording when symptoms are felt. Event monitors are typically worn longer than Holter monitors. The monitor can be removed to allow for showering or bathing.

This is similar to both a Holter and event monitor. The ECG is monitored constantly to allow for detection of arrhythmias, which are recorded and sent to your doctor regardless of whether symptoms are experienced. Recordings can also be initiated by the patient when symptoms are felt. These monitors can be worn up to 30 days.

The doctor may order the elimination of caffeine, alcohol, or any other substances believed to be causing the problem. If stress is suspected as a cause, the doctor may recommend stress-reduction measures, such as meditation, stress-management classes, an exercise program, or psychotherapy.

If the doctor chooses to use medication, the decision of which medication to use will be determined by the severity of symptoms, other conditions that may be present, and other medications already being taken by the patient.

In this procedure, an electrical shock is delivered to the heart through the chest to stop certain very fast arrhythmias such as atrial fibrillation, supraventricular tachycardia, or atrial flutter. The patient is connected to an ECG monitor that is also connected to the defibrillator. The electrical shock is delivered at a precise point during the ECG cycle to convert the rhythm to a normal one.

This is an invasive procedure done in the electrophysiology laboratory, which means that a catheter (a very thin, flexible hollow tube) is inserted into the heart through a vessel in the groin or arm. The procedure is done in a manner similar to the electrophysiology studies (EPS) described above. Once the site of the arrhythmia has been determined by EPS, the catheter is moved to the site. By use of a technique, such as radiofrequency ablation (very high frequency radio waves are applied to the site, heating the tissue until the site is destroyed) or cryoablation (an ultra-cold substance is applied to the site, freezing the tissue and destroying the site), the site of the arrhythmia may be destroyed.

An implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) is a small device, similar to a pacemaker, that is implanted under the skin, often in the shoulder area just under the collarbone. An ICD senses the rate of the heartbeat. When the heart rate exceeds a rate programmed into the device, it delivers an electrical shock to the heart in order to correct the rhythm to a slower, more normal heart rhythm.

Surgical treatment for arrhythmias is usually done only when all other appropriate options have failed. Surgical ablation is a major surgical procedure requiring general anesthesia. The chest is opened, exposing the heart. After the site of the arrhythmia is located, that tissue is destroyed or removed in order to eliminate the source of the arrhythmia.