The signs of heart rhythm abnormalities, or arrhythmias, include palpitations, shortness of breath, dizziness, and even fainting. Heart rhythm disturbances are more varied and can range from a relatively innocent to a potentially life-threatening condition.
The most important aspect for treating a patient with an arrhythmia is making an accurate diagnosis. A physician, such as a heart rhythm specialist or “cardiac electrophysiologist,” can easily make a diagnosis with an EKG or a 24 hour heart monitor called a holter monitor. The limiting factor to these technologies is that a patient must be experiencing the problem at the time of the diagnostic test. Arrhythmias can occur infrequently and can even be silent, without symptoms. Both of these factors further limit a doctor’s ability to make a diagnosis.
The Heart Rhythm Center at the LifeBridge Health Cardiovascular Institute now has an “injectable” heart monitor that can lay under the skin for up to 2-3 years and automatically record any abnormal heart rhythm, thus guaranteeing
an accurate diagnosis and expediting the deployment of advanced therapies or needed reassurance.
The device is injected under the skin in a matter of minutes with a same-day discharge home.
The heart rhythm specialists can directly communicate with the device either from your home or in the office and download any clinically significantly information.