The right treatment for arrhythmias depends on each person's condition and exact diagnosis.  At Texas Heart Institute at St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital Center for Cardiac Arrhythmias and Electrophysiology, our treatment options range from drug therapy to implantable devices, radiofrequency ablation, and open heart surgery. 

Aggressive education and research components position our Center at the forefront of treating patients with heart rhythm disorders.

Lifestyle Changes. Arrhythmias may be related to lifestyle factors.  To reduce these factors, you may do the following:

• Limit alcohol intake.
• Stop smoking.
• Limit or eliminate intake of caffeine.
• Avoid taking stimulants, such as those found in cough and cold medicine and some herbal supplements. Ask your pharmacist or physician for help in determining which medications to avoid.

Drug therapy. This is often the first approach taken to treat an arrhythmia.  A wide variety of antiarrhythmic medications are now available. Some medications are well proven for therapy, while others are still under investigation.

Pacemaker implantation. For patients with a slow heart rhythm (bradycardia), pacemaker implantation is an appropriate option. When set to an appropriate rate for the patient, the pacemaker both senses the heart's rhythm and delivers a stimulus to quicken the heart rate when necessary.  Pacemakers are often used in conjunction with drugs and other treatments to solve more complex arrhythmia problems. A new kind of pacemaker used in the treatment of moderate heart failure is now being implanted at Texas Heart Institute at St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital.

Defibrillator implantation.  By monitoring the heart's rhythm and providing an electric shock or rapid pacing when a dangerous rhythm begins, defibrillators act as a safety net.  They come in a variety of shapes and sizes and are surgically implanted.

Open heart surgery.  A patient who does not respond to drug and other therapy may be a candidate for surgical intervention.  After locating the heart tissue that is causing the abnormal rhythm, doctors can alter or remove the tissue so that it will no longer produce the arrhythmia.  Doctors may also perform "maze" surgery, in which a maze of carefully planned sutures (stitches) can create an electrical conduction route through which normal impulses can travel appropriately.  Open heart surgery may also be needed to repair a structural problem with the heart (for example, a diseased valve or area of muscle) that is causing the arrhythmia.

Radiofrequency (RF) ablation.  Radiofrequency ablation is a non-surgical technique that is performed in St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital's Cardiac Catheterization Laboratories. Doctors will perform the RF ablation after they have accurately identified the abnormal pathway.  Using a tiny tube called a catheter, physicians will deliver energy to eliminate the additional pathway of electrical impulse that is causing the arrhythmia.  This low-risk, non-surgical technique can cure an arrhythmia and eliminate the need for life-long medications and their associated side effects.  St. Luke's now features the Stereotaxis Gentle Touch™ Magnetic Navigation System which is among the most advanced technology for treatment of cardiac arrhythmias.

Specialists at Texas Heart Institute at St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital Center for Cardiac Arrhythmias and Electrophysiology implant more than 600 pacemakers each year, more than any other center in Texas. In addition, Texas Heart Institute at St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital Cardiac Catheterization Laboratories are the largest and most fully equipped in the world.  More than 11,000 diagnostic and interventional cardiac procedures are performed in these labs each year, including more than 800 radiofrequency ablations. For more information about the Center for Arrhythmias and Electrophysiology, call (832) 355-6567 or (800) 238-4212.