Electrophysiology
If you have a heart rhythm disorder or abnormal heartbeat, you can count on the electrophysiologists at Providence Heart Institute of Spokane for world-class care, diagnosis and treatment. Each year, thousands of people from across the region choose us for our expertise in arrhythmia diagnosis and advanced treatments, including micro pacemakers and groundbreaking therapies like pulsed field ablation (PFA).
Expertise You Can Trust
At Providence Heart Institute of Spokane, our board-certified electrophysiologists use specialized tools and techniques to diagnose and treat arrhythmias, rhythm disorders and other heart electrical problems. We personalize your care based on your condition and goals, whether you need medication, catheter ablation or an implanted device like a pacemaker.
Our goal is to improve your heart rhythm, reduce symptoms like palpitations and dizziness, and help you feel better. We use minimally invasive options whenever possible, so you can recover more quickly and return to the activities you enjoy. If you have a rhythm monitoring device, you’ll also receive 24/7 post-care support.
Through our network of heart specialists, we stay at the forefront of electrophysiology treatment. Our advanced therapies and whole-person approach help us provide better heart care — and a better quality of life — for you and your loved ones.
Conditions We Treat
- Atrial Fibrillation
- Bradycardia-Tachycardia Syndrome
- Heart Palpitations
- Atrial Tachycardia
- Ventricular Tachycardia
Meet Our Heart Care Team
At Providence Heart Institute of Spokane, you’ll be cared for by a tightly connected group of specialists who bring deep expertise and a personalized approach to treatment, prevention, and long-term wellness. Our experts work collaboratively to support your health through every stage of care.
Testing & Diagnostics
Our electrophysiologists use advanced testing and diagnostic tools to diagnose and monitor your heart condition. By taking a closer look at your heart and how it functions, we can make earlier, more accurate diagnoses that lead to better treatment outcomes.
Diagnostic procedures, like echocardiograms, allow our doctors to more accurately diagnose and better treat cardiovascular conditions.
Echocardiography uses ultrasound technology to produce detailed images of the heart’s valves and chambers. Through a monitor, your doctor can evaluate how the heart is pumping blood in real time.
An ECG/EKG is a test that uses electrodes to record electrical signals from your heart. The electrical signals detect your heart rate and rhythm and help your doctor accurately evaluate the heart’s function.
An electrophysiology test uses special wires, called temporary electrode catheters, placed in the atrium and/or ventricle along the conduction areas of the heart. An electrophysiology cardiologist conducts a series of tests to identify the areas of the heart that are causing the problems and determine the best course of treatment.
Event and Holter monitors are portable devices that record your heart’s electrical activity over time. They help your doctor understand your heart rhythm, especially if you have symptoms like chest pain, dizziness or irregular heartbeats.
- A Holter monitor records heart activity continuously for one or two days, including while you sleep. Electrode patches attach to your chest and connect to a portable monitor you can carry in your pocket.
- An event monitor is similar but records only when activated during symptoms, such as palpitations, skipped beats or other heart-related concerns.
Heart catheterization is a common diagnostic procedure that helps your doctor check how well your heart is working and if you need treatment.
During the procedure, your interventional cardiologist inserts a long, narrow tube called a catheter through a blood vessel in your leg or arm and guides it to the heart. Then, they may take an X-ray, open a narrowed artery or valve or take a tissue sample.
Advanced Electrophysiology Treatments
These are a few of the advanced electrophysiology treatments we offer for cardiac rhythm disorders – using the least invasive approaches, when possible, to improve patient outcomes and recovery.
Electrophysiology Treatment Options
Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT), also known as biventricular pacing, can treat people with heart failure or an irregular heartbeat, usually after medication hasn’t worked. This treatment uses a biventricular pacemaker, which connects an extra, third wire to the heart to help its lower left and right chambers beat together. Some people need a biventricular pacemaker with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD).
Cardioversion is a technique used to restore an uneven or fast heart rate, especially for people with AFib. There are two main types of cardioversion:
- Chemical cardioversion, when a provider gives you medications to reset your heart rate.
- Electric cardioversion, when a provider restores heart rate using a machine to deliver fast, low-energy shocks to your chest.
Cryoablation is a minimally invasive medical treatment that uses extremely cold energy, usually in a catheter or needle, to freeze and destroy abnormal tissue. It’s used to treat a variety of conditions, including killing cancer tumors and restoring normal heart rhythm for people with AFib by targeting the part of the heart that causes abnormal heartbeats.
Pulmonary vein isolation is a minimally invasive procedure and type of cardiac ablation treatment. It may be used to treat AFib if medications haven’t worked. During the procedure, your doctor uses heat or cold energy to make tiny scars in the pulmonary veins on the left side of the heart. The scarring blocks abnormal electrical signals that can cause an irregular heart rhythm.
Radiofrequency catheter ablation is a minimally invasive procedure that involves moving small tubes called catheters through blood vessels to deliver energy to problem areas of the heart. This energy scars and deactivates tissue that causes abnormal heart rhythms. Your doctor may recommend this procedure if you have a fast arrhythmia that hasn’t responded to medication.
