Heart arrhythmia
Heart arrhythmias are disruptions in a regular heart rhythm, which can include slow, irregular or fast heart beats. They occur when the electrical impulses to the heart stray from their normal sequence and can range from being harmless to life-threatening.
Heart arrhythmia care in Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Many people do not experience symptoms related to a heart arrhythmia, but some people may feel a fluttering in the chest, shortness of breath, dizziness or fainting. At HCA Florida Northwest Hospital, our specialists provide comprehensive, high-level care for patients with irregular heartbeats.
The Heart and Vascular Institute is one of few hospitals in the U.S. to offer atrial fibrillation ablation, a procedure for effectively shutting down specific areas of the heart that trigger abnormally fast rhythms. Our electrophysiology (EP) labs are among the premier programs in the county, offering various forms of treatment for patients with heart arrhythmias.
Related specialties
Learn more about our related specialties.
Our heart arrhythmia treatments and services
We offer patients access to state-of-the-art technology and procedures, including:
EP lab
Our EP lab has technology capable of performing a wide range of procedures, including:
- Atrioventricular nodal conduction recording
- Atrial and ventricular pacing and recording
- Comprehensive EP studies
- Cardiac 3D mapping
- Cardiac ablations
- Biventricular pacemaker insertion
- Implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) insertion
- Left atrial appendage closure (LAAC) implant insertion
- Pacemaker insertion
Cardiac ablations
Cardiac ablations are procedures that can correct heart rhythm problems or arrhythmias. These procedures are used to treat conditions, such as:
- Atrial fibrillation/atrial flutter
- Supraventricular tachycardia
- Ventricular tachycardia
Our electrophysiologists offer advanced treatment options to address both simple and complex heart rhythm disorders.
Atrial fibrillation (AFib) treatments
We offer several leading treatment options to safely and easily treat AFib before life-threatening effects can occur. Some of these minimally invasive techniques include:
- Atrial fibrillation ablation
- Atrial flutter ablation
- Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) ablation
- Ventricular tachycardia (VT) ablation
Many individuals who have had these procedures enjoy quick recoveries and require no further treatment for their AFib.
Left atrial appendage closure (LAAC)
More than 90 percent of strokes in patients and AFib come from the left atrial appendage. Our doctors use two of the most common approaches to close the heart’s left atrial appendage reducing the risk of stroke for patients with atrial fibrillation:
- Permanent heart implants
- Left atrial appendage clip via thoracoscopy surgery
Implantable devices
Implantable devices provide electrical stimulation to particular areas of the heart to help maintain a normal heart rate and/or rhythm to a heart that’s diseased or damaged.
There are three primary categories of implantable devices:
- Pacemakers
- Implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD)
- Biventricular pacemakers or ICDs
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