Most of us take it for granted – a heart that beats to a moderate, regular rhythm. But for some,any given day may bring a suddenly racing heart. Beverly Gelderman, 49, suffered frequent bouts of rapid heart beat, known as tachycardia, for 12 years. The episodes "got worse and worse through the years," she says, "and usually hit when I was relaxed...I felt wrong, inside out. It felt like I was on the fastest treadmill ever."
Though her condition was not life threatening, it took a toll. In the six months just before her electrophysiology procedure at Providence Everett Medical Center, Gelderman had been in the emergency room six times. A third-grade teacher at Jefferson Elementary School in Everett, Gelderman says the missed work and psychological distress became intolerable, and she had to do something.
What’s the Problem?
"The heart functions are similar to an automobile engine," says Jeff Rose, MD, Gelderman’s cardiologist and an electrophysiologist at Providence Everett Medical Center. "The coronary arteries are its fuel supply system. The heart muscle is the pump, and it has an electrical system to fire the pistons. In a heart, the electrical system initiates and maintains the beat."
Rose says an abnormal rhythm of the heart, also known as arrhythmia, means the heart beats inappropriately fast or slow. It may also mean that electrical impulses are travelling in abnormal pathways.
"Arrhythmia can be extremely annoying and disruptive in an otherwise-healthy person’s life, yet arrhythmia often goes undiagnosed and is mistakenly attributed to anxiety," he says. "But when these conditions are diagnosed and treated, the sufferer’s quality of life is vastly improved."
Going to the Source
For years, it has been possible to record the heart’s electrical activity using electrode catheters inserted into the heart chambers through blood vessels. These recordings allow the specialist to construct a map of when the electrical impulses are occurring in relation to each other and ultimately to estimate the location of the problem area. By way of treatment, tissue found to be triggering the arrhythmia can be destroyed during the procedure with a separate catheter that delivers high-frequency energy. This reroutes the electrical impulses eliminating the arrhythmia.
New at Providence
Last fall, The Heart Institute at Providence Everett Medical Center added the brand new Biosense CARTO™ system to its electrophysiology lab. Whereas older technology would allow only a two-dimensional view of the heart, now with the new Biosense procedure, specialists can clearly view a three-dimensional picture of the heart’s chambers on a computer screen.
In this new procedure, the heart’s electrical activity is color-coded using an advanced locating technology similar to the military’s global positioning system. In essence, the heart’s structure is shown on a computer screen in graduated shades of the color spectrum, which correlate to time, allowing the specialist to hone in precisely on the arrhythmia and eliminate its faulty electrical pathway.
"The equipment provides a sophisticated way to look at the heart and to catalog electrical activity in 3-D," Rose says. "There’s increased safety because of the precision, and we are now able to diagnose and treat even the most complex arrhythmias."
Tom Brennan, Executive Director of The Heart Institute was instrumental in bringing this state-of-the-art equipment to Everett. He says that being at the top in the technology-driven field of cardiology means continuously investing in the latest procedures, as well as having the best specialists on hand to use the technology. "This is a tremendous tool for treating arrhythmias," he says. "It complements our broad range of leading-edge heart technology, and it keeps us at the forefront in this region for heart care."
And Beverly Gelderman? Now, nearly eight months later, Gelderman says she no longer suffers from tachycardia and her quality of life has improved a "couple hundred percent." She is back to her third graders with renewed energy.
"It’s an amazing procedure," she says. "Now I’m free to worry about other people and other things."
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