Denton County Living Well Magazine Fall 2013 | Page 18

Advanced EP Lab in Denton
Courtesy Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital-Denton

The Cardiac Electrophysiology (EP) Lab at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Denton was recently renovated to increase technology and double its capacity to treat patients suffering from arrhythmia.

A Minimally Invasive Solution to a Deadly Problem
Today’s technology has evolved to allow a minimally invasive solution to life-threatening abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA). Abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) are dangerous bulges in the aortic artery, the major pipeline that supplies blood to the lower half of the body. When an AAA develops, the artery’s walls are extended by blood pressure, making the artery bulge like a weak spot on a worn tire – increasing the potential for rupture. Because of the large volume of blood that travels through the aorta, a rupture of the aneurysm can be deadly in a matter of minutes. Patients with ruptured aneurysm have a 90 percent risk of dying, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

ccording to the American Heart Association, arrhythmia—also known as an irregular heartbeat — is a common issue that occurs when the heartbeat is chaotic, too slow or too fast due to abnormal electrical impulses. While an occasional irregular heartbeat isn’t always dangerous, arrhythmia can affect the heart’s ability to pump blood to the body’s organs and lead to long-term damage and even death. As a result, prompt diagnosis and treatment are critical. Prior to the EP Lab opening at Texas Health Denton in 2010, there were no other local options for electrophysiology diagnostics and treatment. The EP Lab’s services—which include advanced diagnostic imaging, ablation, and the implantation of pacemakers and defibrillators — proved so popular that the technology was updated and the lab was renovated and expanded in early 2013. “After our EP Lab opened three years ago, we quickly realized we had a large population who needed these services,” says Haris Naseem, M.D., electrophysiologist on the medical staff at Texas Health Denton. “The expansion of our fully equipped, very robust program allows our three full-time, board-certified electrophysiologists to see more patients with significantly reduced wait times.”

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What is an EP Lab?
In the EP Lab at Texas Health Denton, patients have access to these advanced services: • Ablation studies. During this nonsurgical, minimally invasive procedure, a small catheter is inserted through the groin to access the heart. The electrophysiologist can then use either heat (radiofrequency ablation) or cold (cryoablation) deployed through the catheter to destroy the cardiac tissue that causes the irregular rhythm. • Cardiac mapping. Using electrode-tipped catheters threaded from the groin to the heart, the electrophysiologist is able to detect and monitor electrical activity in the chambers of the heart to diagnose irregularities and inform treatment. • Defibrillator and pacemaker implantation. These devices, which are inserted through small incisions in the chest, help regulate heart rhythm. The defibrillator detects severe arrhythmia and shocks the heart into beating at a regular rate to preve ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????e?????????????qQ???Q????!??????????@?1???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????t???9??????????q??????????????????????????e???????????????????@????????t()QQ%9?!1@)I???=??????5???????????????????????????????????Q????!?????A????????!??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????=???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????q$????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????t???=??????????q?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????t()Q????????????????Q????!??????????e????????????????????????????Q????!??????????????????((??()?????
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