Electrophysiology Lab

The MetroWest Medical Center’s electrophysiology lab provides state-of-the-art diagnosis and treatment for patients with heart rhythm abnormalities (arrhythmias).  Services to assess and treat cardiac rhythm problems include:

Cardiac ablations

A cardiac ablation is a procedure used to correct an abnormal heart rhythm. A catheter is used to guide tiny electrodes into the heart. A burst of radiofrequency energy eradicates any abnormal electrical circuits and allows the heart to return to a normal rhythm.

3D Mapping of electrical activity

3D electrical mapping is a procedure used to identify the etiology and location of various heart arrhythmias.  During the procedure, a catheter is inserted into a large vein in your groin that leads to your heart.  These special catheters have electromagnetic sensors in their tips, which are used to sense electrical activity and map it on a 3-Dimensional model of the heart. 

Cardioversion

A cardioversion is a procedure that delivers an electrical shock to the heart, while a patient is asleep under anesthesia, that “resets” the heart to a normal rhythm (sinus rhythm).

Implanted Cardioverter-Defibrillator

An Implanted Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD) is a device that monitors for irregular heart rhythms and shocks the heart back to normal if a life threatening arrhythmia were to occur. ICDs are extremely effective in treating dangerous arrhythmias and are the most effective therapy for treating ventricular fibrillation, the most common cause of sudden cardiac death.

Pacemakers

A pacemaker is a device that is implanted in a patient’s body to continuously monitor the rate and rhythm of the heart.  The pacemaker transmits electrical impulses to stimulate a heart beat to prevent the heart rate from dropping to a dangerously low level.