Once inside the heart, the doctors are able to study the abnormal heat beats or rhythms. An abnormal heart rhythm is also called an arrhythmia. If your child is known to have an arrhythmia, an EPS may be done to determine the effectiveness of different medications needed to treat the arrhythmia, or to discover abnormal pathways or areas in the heart that may be causing the arrhythmia. Finally, an EPS may be done with a procedure called a radiofrequency ablation. This is a procedure done to disrupt part or all of an abnormal electrical pathway that is causing the arrhythmia.
Energy is delivered through a catheter that is positioned close to the abnormal electrical pathway.
The tip of the catheter heats up and creates a small scar so that the arrhythmia can no longer travel through that area and thus can no longer occur. If your child is scheduled for an electrophysiology study you will receive confirmation of the date of the procedure and the time that you should arrive to the hospital by phone and by mail. Your child may need to be seen the day before the procedure so that we can answer any questions you or your child may have and to prepare for the procedure . This preparation generally involves a physical examination and tests such as an echocardiogram, electrocardiogram, chest x-ray, and blood work. If your child is scheduled to have the procedure done under general anesthesia, you will also talk to an anesthesiologist.