For Patients
Diagnosis
How we find out what’s going on with your heart
Syncope -- A Tilt-table test is the usual first step in syncope diagnosis. Tilt table testing has been used for more than 50 years to study the body's responses to various stimuli, and recently it has become the standard diagnostic tool for evaluating the symptoms of syncope.
Arrhythmia
A Diagnostic Electrophysiological Study (EP Study) can be done to test arrhythmia and monitor flow of electricity during actual events. As a result, EP studies can help locate the specific areas in the heart tissue that create the abnormal electrical impulses that cause arrhythmia..
EP studies most often are recommended for patients with symptoms indicative of heart rhythm disorders or for people who may be at risk for Sudden Cardiac Death. With an EP Study, it is possible to:
- Diagnose arrhythmia symptoms and what is causing them
- Determine the effectiveness of different medications in controlling arrhythmia
- Predict the risk of a future cardiac events, including very serious ones
- Assess the potential need for a pacemaker or ICD or treatment procedure (radio frequency catheter ablation)
