Checkup

Electrophysiology Lab Keeps Pace

Dr. Fred Kusumoto says more than 50 patients a month are being treated in the electrophysiology lab.

Learn more about the
Division of Cardiovascular Diseases.

More patients at Mayo Clinic have been undergoing specialized treatment for heart rhythm problems (cardiac arrhythmias) since the new electrophysiology (EP) lab opened in September at St. Luke's Hospital.

The staff of the EP lab, located in the surgical suite on the first floor of the hospital, has been treating more than 50 patients a month, implanting pacemakers, defibrillators, loop monitors to detect fainting episodes (syncope) and other devices aimed at correcting or monitoring arrhythmias. Patients are also now able to receive radiofrequency ablation, a corrective procedure that is evolving as the preferred treatment for those suffering from rapid, irregular heartbeats.

"This problem is common in older people, and previously there wasn't much we could do for them," says Dr. Fred Kusumoto, director of electrophysiology and pacing at Mayo Clinic. "Medication only worked 50 percent of the time. Now we have this new procedure that can potentially cure them. They feel better, regain a sense of well-being and have a better quality of life."

The nonsurgical procedure involves inserting a catheter with a special electrode tip to the area of the heart where electrical signals are setting off abnormal heart rhythms. Radiofrequency energy is then used to heat and destroy the heart muscle responsible for the arrhythmia. Done with mild sedation and a local anesthetic, the procedure causes little or no discomfort and is about 90 percent successful.

Four nurses, three technicians and two physicians specializing in electrocardiography and pacing make up the lab's staff.

Info:
Department of Cardiology
(904) 953-6785

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