heart and blood vessel disorders
Electrophysiologic Testing
How electrophysiologic testing is done
Testing is done in the hospital. After injecting a local anesthetic, a doctor inserts a catheter with tiny electrodes at its tip through a needle puncture of a vein in the groin, arm, or neck. The catheter is threaded through the major blood vessels into the heart chambers, usually using fluoroscopy (a continuous x-ray procedure) for guidance. The catheter is used to record the electrocardiogram (ECG) from within the heart and to identify the precise location of the electrical conduction pathways. Destroying Abnormal Heart Tissue (Ablation) None Cryoablationis similar to radiofrequency ablation but uses freezing rather than heat to destroy any abnormal electrical connections. 