Arrhythmia care
Depend on the heart rhythm specialists at Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula’s Tyler Heart Institute for high-quality, specialized arrhythmia care.
What’s an arrhythmia?
An arrhythmia is an irregular or abnormal heart rate. If you have a heart rhythm disorder, your heart may beat too slowly (bradycardia), too fast (tachycardia), or in an unusual pattern. Our skilled cardiologists provide complete care for all types of arrhythmias, including:
- Atrial fibrillation, or AFib
- Atrial flutter
- Atrial tachycardia
- Paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT)
- Premature atrial contractions (PACs)
- Premature ventricular contractions, including epicardial foci
- Supraventricular arrhythmia
- Ventricular fibrillation
- Ventricular tachycardia
Arrhythmia symptoms
Talk to your doctor if you experience:
- Anxiety
- Chest pain or pressure
- Fast, slow, irregular, or pounding heartbeat, or feeling like your heart is skipping a beat
- Dizziness, lightheadedness, or fainting (passing out)
- Shortness of breath
- Tiredness (fatigue) or weakness
Sometimes, heart rhythm disorders don’t cause any symptoms. Your doctor may instead find a problem with your heartbeat during a routine checkup.
Diagnostic tests and monitoring
To diagnose an arrhythmia, you’ll have a physical examination. Your doctor may also recommend:
- Echocardiogram
- Electrocardiogram (EKG)
- Cardiac mapping, also known as 3D electrical mapping of the heart or an electrophysiology (EP) study – Uses a catheter (long, thin tube) and an EKG to record how the heart beats and take detailed photos to find out which part may be causing an arrhythmia
- Holter monitor – Gives you a portable device that connects to the outside of your chest and records your heart rhythm for one to two days
- Event monitor – Uses a small monitoring device to record your heart’s electrical activity when you experience symptoms for up to 30 days
- Implantable loop recorder – Places a heart-monitoring device inside your body to track your heart rhythm for up to three years
Treatments we offer
Most arrhythmias are harmless, but some can be serious. Count on our knowledgeable cardiologists to fully explain your condition, answer your questions, and work with you to develop a care plan that’s best for your heart health and lifestyle. If you need treatment, your cardiologist will explain the potential risks and benefits of different options.
At Montage Health, you benefit from the latest and most effective treatments for arrhythmia. Your personalized plan may include:
- Monitoring of your condition with regular, ongoing checkups
- Medications (such as antiarrhythmics, blood thinners, and statins) to control your heart’s rhythm or prevent complications, such as blood clots
- Minimally invasive procedures or heart surgery to reset or control the heart's rhythm or prevent complications
Arrhythmia procedures
Expect high-quality, patient-centered care before, during, and after your procedure. We specialize in:
- Cardiac ablation – Uses heat to safely destroy the cells causing the arrhythmia
- Cardioversion – Sends electrical signals to the heart through electrodes placed on the chest to restore a normal heart rate
- Implantable cardiac defibrillator (ICD) placement – Puts a small, battery-powered device in the chest to track and, when needed, correct your heart rhythm with an electrical pulse
- Maze procedure for atrial fibrillation – Treats the part of the heart causing AFib by creating a new pattern (maze) of pathways for the heart’s electrical activity
- Pacemaker placement – Puts a small device in the body and attaches it to the heart with wires that send electrical signals to control and regulate the heartbeat. Whenever possible, we’ll use the Micra™ leadless pacemaker, which is a smaller piece of technology than other types and can be implanted using less invasive techniques. The device sends data electronically to your care team
- Pacemaker extraction – Removal of a pacemaker
Electrophysiology (EP) procedures
If your cardiologist recommends an electrophysiology (EP) procedure to diagnose or treat your condition, it will take place in our Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory. The lab is a specialized setting with the technology to perform minimally invasive EP procedures, including 3D heart mapping, ablation, cardioversion, or placement of a pacemaker or ICD.
