Your doctor can tell what kind of heart rhythm problems you have and where those problems are.

Sometimes the problem can be fixed at the same time. A procedure called catheter ablation uses the catheters to destroy (ablate) small areas of your heart that are causing the problem.

Why Do I Need an EP Study?

You may need an EP study : –

• To determine the cause of an abnormal heart rhythm.
• To locate the site of origin of an abnormal heart rhythm.
• To decide the best treatment for an abnormal heart rhythm.

Sometimes an EP study is conducted before implantable cardioverter/defibrillator (ICD) placement to determine which device is best and afterwards to monitor treatment success.\

How Should I Prepare for the EP Study?

• Ask your doctor what medications you are allowed to take during the EP study. Your doctor may ask you to stop certain medications one to five days beforehand. If you have diabetes, ask your doctor how you should adjust your diabetes medications.
• Do not eat or drink anything after midnight the evening before the EP study. If you must take medications, take them only with a small sip of water.
• When you come to the hospital, wear comfortable clothes. You will change into a hospital gown for the procedure. Leave all jewelry or valuables at home.
• Your doctor will tell you if you can go home or must stay in the hospital after the procedure. If you are able to go home, bring a companion to drive you home.

Why an EP study ?

While electrocardiograms (ECGs) are important tests of the heart’s electrical system, they are brief tests that record only the events that occur while the tests are running. Arrhythmias, by their very nature, are unpredictable and intermittent, which makes it unlikely that an ECG or electrocardiogram will capture the underlying electrical pathway problem. Even tests that stretch over longer time lengths, such as Holter monitoring, may not capture an event.

During an EP study, a specially trained cardiac specialist may provoke arrhythmia events and collect data about the flow of electricity during actual events. As a result, EP studies can help locate the specific areas heart tissue that give rise to the abnormal electrical impulses that cause arrhythmias. This detailed electrical flow information provides valuable diagnostic and, therefore, treatment information.

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.

THE VALUE OF AN EP STUDY

An electrophysiologic, or EP, study provides information that is key to diagnosing and treating arrhythmias. Although it is more invasive than an electrocardiogram (ECG) or echocardiogram, and involves provoking arrhythmias, the test produces data that makes it possible to : –

• Diagnose the source of arrhythmia symptoms
• Evaluate the effectiveness of certain medications in controlling the heart rhythm disorder
• Predict the risk of a future cardiac event, such as Sudden Cardiac Death
• Assess the need for an implantable device (a pacemaker or ICD) or treatment procedure (radio frequency catheter ablation)