Atrial Fibrillation & Arrhythmia Center

Overview

At the Heart & Vascular Institute-Texas Medical Center, our affiliated physicians provide a broad range of treatment options for patients diagnosed with arrhythmia, from noninvasive interventions to device therapy to minimally invasive surgery.

Electrophysiology is used to diagnose, treat and often cure arrhythmia. It has also been shown to dramatically improve the quality of life for patients with heart failure.  Electrophysiologists and surgeons affiliated with the Heart & Vascular Institute-Texas Medical Center are experts in treating atrial fibrillation, other supraventricular arrhythmias and ventricular tachycardia, a less common and potentially life-threatening arrhythmia.

Physicians have two goals in treating arrhythmias: reducing the risk of stroke and alleviating or improving symptoms.  Treatment ranges from proven noninvasive interventions to advanced device therapy and groundbreaking minimally invasive procedures that reduce trauma and allow for faster recovery.

Through participation in clinical research trials, our patients also have access to leading-edge treatments unavailable at other medical centers.  Learn about current research studies related to this condition and information on enrollment as a study participant.

Contact Us

For more information on our services for patients with arrhythmia and atrial fibrillation, or for a referral to an affiliated physician, call 713.7CARDIO (713.722.7346).

Learn More About Arrhythmias

An arrhythmia is a heart rhythm abnormality, and may indicate a serious problem and can lead to heart disease, stroke or sudden cardiac death.  Causes and risk factors include:

• Alcohol use (especially binge drinking)
• Congestive heart failure  
• Coronary artery disease (especially after a heart attack or coronary artery bypass surgery)
• Drug abuse
• High blood pressure (hypertension)
• Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy 
• Medications and supplements
• Obesity
• Overactive thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism)
• Pericarditis 
• Smoking
• Valvular heart disease (especially mitral stenosis and mitral regurgitation)

• Atrial Fibrillation / Atrial Flutter 
• Atrial Tachycardia 
• Supraventricular Tachycardia  
• Heart Block  
• Sick Sinus Syndrome 
• Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome 
• Ectopic Heartbeat / Premature Ventricular Contractions 
• Ventricular Tachycardia 
• Ventricular Fibrillation 

Atrial fibrillation is the most common type of arrhythmia.  It affects about 2.2 million Americans, with 160,000 new cases diagnosed annually.  Whether the condition is intermittent or chronic, patients with atrial fibrillation are at higher risk for blood clots and stroke.

Diagnosis

An arrhythmia can be “silent” and may not cause any symptoms.  However, among individuals who experience symptoms, common complaints include:

• Chest pain
• Fainting
• Fast or slow heartbeat (palpitations)
• Light-headedness, dizziness
• Paleness
• Shortness of breath
• Skipping beats - changes in the pattern of the pulse
• Sweating

An arrhythmia may be suspected when a physician hears a fast heartbeat while listening to the heart with a stethoscope. The pulse may feel rapid, irregular, or both. The normal heart rate is 60 - 100, but in atrial fibrillation/flutter the heart rate may be 100 - 175. Blood pressure may be normal or low.

An ECG shows atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter. Continuous ambulatory cardiac monitoring -- Holter monitor (24 hour test) -- may be necessary because the condition often occurs at some times but not others (sporadic).

Tests to find underlying heart diseases may include:

• Coronary angiography 
• Echocardiogram 
• Electrophysiologic study (EPS)
• Exercise treadmill ECG  
• Nuclear imaging tests

Learn more in this interactive question-and-answer session with Dr. J. Jason West.

 

Treatment

Noninvasive Treatment Options

MEDICATION. Cardiologists on staff normally prescribe medications as the first course of treatment for atrial fibrillation, including heart rate control medications, antiarrhythmic drugs and anticoagulants.

ELECTRICAL CARDIOVERSION. Depending on the results of a patient’s examination and diagnosis, electrophysiologists may recommend electrical cardioversion to restore the heart to its natural rhythm. Following administration of a short-acting general anesthetic, a synchronized electric shock delivered to the chest wall restores natural rhythm in 70 percent to 90 percent of cases.

Minimally Invasive Procedure

CATHETER RADIOFREQUENCY ABLATION. Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is offered to patients who do not respond to or tolerate medication. The electrophysiologist isolates areas in the atria that trigger fibrillation, then uses a small, flexible catheter capped with an electrode to ablate lesions outside the pulmonary veins. The procedure is repeated around all four pulmonary veins where they connect with the left atrium, forming lesions that create a circular electrical barrier around the veins to block abnormal impulses. The minimally invasive procedure stops, or greatly suppresses, atrial fibrillation in 70 percent to 80 percent of cases.

Device Therapy

PACEMAKER IMPLANTATION. A pacemaker is a small device which uses electrical impulses to regulate and maintain a suitable heart rate or to stimulate the lower chambers of the heart (ventricles). A pacemaker may also be used to treat fainting spells (syncope) and congestive heart failure.  Pacemakers are occasionally used in combination with an invasive procedure that disconnects the ventricles from the atria to control pulse rate during atrial fibrillation.

ICD INSERTION. Implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) implanted in the chest below the collarbone continuously monitor heart rhythm and deliver electrical shocks to restore rhythm and prevent sudden cardiac arrest. ICDs work through cardioversion (a low-energy shock delivered at the same time as the heartbeat), a higher energy shock and antitachycardia pacing.

CARDIAC RESYNCHRONIZATION THERAPY (CRT).  Resynchronization therapy uses a specialized implantable device to restore the symmetry of cardiac contractions, improving the efficiency of the heartbeat. This new and innovative form of therapy is useful in relieving symptoms of congestive heart failure in some patients.

Minimally Invasive Surgery

MAZE SURGERY. In open-heart maze surgery, surgeons make a series of precise incisions in the muscles of the atria, allowing scar tissue to form, which blocks abnormal electrical impulses. While open surgery has shown a high success rate in treating atrial fibrillation, it requires a sternotomy and heart-lung support.

The minimally invasive approach requires three small incisions on both sides of the chest. Guided by a tiny camera, the physician inserts a special device through the ribs to clamp the sections of the atria where the disruptive electrical impulses originate. Radiofrequency ablation creates thermal lesions that interrupt abnormal electrical signals. Surgeons reduce the risk of postoperative clotting by removing the left atrial appendage, an extraneous structure where blood clots can form.

Minimally invasive maze surgery stops atrial fibrillation in 80 percent to 90 percent of cases. Patients normally return to work in a few days, compared to four to six weeks for the traditional open surgery.

Affiliated Physicians

Electrophysiologists affiliated with Memorial Hermann Heart & Vascular Institute-Texas Medical Center are focused on diagnosing and treating heart rhythm disorders in patients.

MICHAEL CRAIG DELAUGHTER Specialties: Cardiac Electrophysiology Phone and Insurance Information 6550 Fannin St Ste 1723 Houston, TX 77030 Distance: 0 mi

ANNE H DOUGHERTY Specialties: Cardiovascular Diseases Cardiac Electrophysiology Phone and Insurance Information 6410 Fannin St., Suite 600 Houston, TX 77030 Distance: 0 mi

ALEXANDER FRANZ DRTIL Specialties: Cardiac Electrophysiology Phone and Insurance Information 7737 Southwest Fwy Ste 990 Houston, TX 77074 Distance: 6 mi

TIMOTHY K DOYLE Specialties: Cardiac Electrophysiology Phone and Insurance Information 6550 Fannin St Ste 1723 Houston, TX 77030 Distance: 0 mi

THOMAS EDWARD HONG Specialties: Cardiac Electrophysiology Phone and Insurance Information 6400 Fannin St Ste 3000 Houston, TX 77030 Distance: 0 mi

SOHAIL JALAL Specialties: Cardiac Electrophysiology Phone and Insurance Information 7737 Southwest Fwy Ste 990 Houston, TX 77074 Distance: 6 mi

BHARAT K KANTHARIA Specialties: Cardiovascular Diseases Phone and Insurance Information 6410 Fannin, Suite 600 Houston, TX 77030 Distance: 0 mi

BAXTER DELWORTH MONTGOMERY Specialties: Cardiovascular Diseases Cardiac Electrophysiology Phone and Insurance Information 10480 Main St. Houston, TX 77025 Distance: 0 mi

HUE-TEH SHIH Specialties: Cardiac Electrophysiology Phone and Insurance Information 6400 Fannin St Ste 2030 Houston, TX 77030 Distance: 0 mi

HINA F SIDDIQUI Specialties: Cardiac Electrophysiology Phone and Insurance Information 6400 Fannin St Ste 2220 Houston, TX 77030 Distance: 0 mi

JAMES L STRICKLAND Specialties: Cardiac Electrophysiology Phone and Insurance Information 6400 Fannin St Ste 2220 Houston, TX 77030 Distance: 0 mi

 We believe our patients are the best advocates for what we do. We are sharing the stories of a few of our arrhythmia patients to provide a learning opportunity for others.

Patient Stories

Anthony, Ventricular Tachycardia Heart & Vascular Institute-Texas Medical Center From Zero to a 60-Second Freefall - Catheter RFA Changes a Ventricular Tachycardia Patient's Life. Read Anthony's Story