Heart arrhythmia

Heart arrhythmia treatment in Las Vegas

A skipped heartbeat or racing heart can feel scary, but it may not necessarily be serious. You may experience a change in your heart rate at any time, even during sleep. But sometimes, it can be a sign of a more severe problem.

At MountainView Hospital, we provide complete arrhythmia treatment services in our two dedicated state-of-the-art electrophysiology labs. Our technologies include two 3D mapping units, intra-cardiac echocardiograms, radiofrequency ablations and cryoablations. Our electrophysiologists are highly trained, and our clinical staff specializes in the treatment of abnormal rhythms.

For more information, call (702) 962-5021.

What is an arrhythmia?

An arrhythmia occurs when the electrical impulses regulating your heartbeat don't work correctly. When this happens, it can cause the heart to beat too fast (tachycardia), too slow (bradycardia) or at an irregular rate.

As part of our cardiac care program, we provide complete arrhythmia treatment in our state-of-the-art electrophysiology lab.

Arrhythmia causes

Some arrhythmias are hereditary. Stress, medications or even too much caffeine can cause them as well. Some other causes of irregular heartbeats include:

• Heart attack
• Coronary artery disease
• Thyroid problems
• Diabetes
• Sleep apnea
• Smoking
• Alcohol and drug abuse

Diagnostic tools for arrhythmia

Our doctors specialize in the latest technology to care for our patients in and around the Las Vegas area. From electrophysiology studies to implanting complex defibrillators, our team is ready to take care of the needs of our patients. Additionally, we use minimally invasive techniques on an outpatient basis for most of our heart procedures.

3D mapping

Our doctors can create real-time 3D maps of the heart and its chambers to help visualize the source and path of an arrhythmia. Our special mapping systems, equipped with the latest software, allow our team to see the heart structures to position the catheters within one millimeter of the problem cells.

Improved visualization helps reduce X-ray exposure as well as significantly decreasing the length of the procedure.

Loop recorders

A loop recorder is a device that records your heart rhythm. It's implanted or injected below the skin of the patient's chest. This powerful device, measuring no larger than a pack of gum, can record any arrhythmias for up to three years. This helps your doctor make an accurate diagnosis of what type of arrhythmia occurs.

Arrhythmia treatments

We perform many different procedures to correct abnormal heart rhythms, including:

Pacemakers

A pacemaker regulates the beating of the heart by delivering an electrical impulse through electrodes connected to the heart muscle. This device will keep the heart beating at a regular pace when it senses your heart is too slow, or it will take over from the heart's natural pacemaker when the heartbeat is abnormal.

Patients undergoing pacemaker surgery can expect a quick recovery and return to their previous activity level.

Implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs)

An ICD device is slightly larger than a pacemaker. It monitors the heart for abnormal heartbeats that may be considered dangerous.

Implanted in patients at risk for sudden cardiac death, the ICD can directly deliver an internal shock into the heart muscle when it senses the heart is in an abnormal rhythm. This rhythm is called ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation.

The electrical shock will help convert the heart rhythm back to normal. The ICD can also function as a pacemaker if necessary.

Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT)

CRT devices are either pacemakers or defibrillators with an extra lead attached to pace both ventricles of the heart. They can be programmed to help the ventricles of the heart synchronize, improving cardiac function.

This device can reduce mortality and improve the quality of life in patients with congestive heart failure. It also helps those whose heart does not contract enough to pump oxygen-rich blood throughout the body.

Catheter ablations

Our specialists may recommend an ablation when medication fails to control a heart's abnormal rhythm. Catheter ablation uses a series of thin, flexible wires (catheters) inserted through an artery or vein and guided to the heart. Once the electrophysiologist has made sure you are in the abnormal rhythm, they create a 3D map showing the abnormal rhythm's type and location.

Using the map as a guide, doctors place the catheter in the correct area and destroy the problem cells with a tiny and focused radiofrequency wave. They will then try to induce the abnormal rhythm to ensure that the problem cells are no longer causing the arrhythmia.

Cryoablation

Cryoablation, also called cryoballoon catheter ablation, is similar to regular ablation, except we use extreme cold to freeze heart cells. In this procedure, doctors insert a catheter through a blood vessel and guide it to the heart. They then inflate a tiny balloon at the end of the catheter with a special gas coolant to freeze the atrial tissue triggering the arrhythmia.

Through cryoablation, patients experience shorter procedure times and less radiation exposure.

Intracardiac echocardiography (ICE)

An ICE catheter is a small ultrasound device placed within the heart. ICE provides clear information about the structure of the heart as well as the position of the catheter.

With the high-resolution pictures doctors receive with ICE, they can move between atrial chambers safely and efficiently. By minimizing the potential for complications, they can focus on ridding the heart of the problem cells.