OVERVIEW | SYMPTOMS | DIAGNOSIS | TREATMENT
Any irregularity in your heart's natural rhythm is called an arrhythmia. Almost everyone's heart skips 
or flutters at one time or another, and these mild, one-time palpitations are harmless. But there are about 4 million Americans who have recurrent arrhythmias, and these people should be under the care of a doctor.
Why Choose St. Luke’s for Treatment of Arrhythmia?
- Through the partnership with Texas Heart® Institute, doctors in the Center for Cardiac Arrhythmias and Electrophysiology have developed and/or are using state-of-the-art techniques to address the needs of today's cardiac arrhythmia patients, including the Stereotaxis Gentle Touch™ Magnetic Navigation System.
- A site for clinical trials, we offer patients and referring physicians a wide range of treatment options.
- Our specialists implant more pacemakers and implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) and perform more electrophysiology procedures than any hospital in Houston.*
- Our Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory is one the largest and most fully equipped in the world with four suites dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of arrhythmias.
* Texas Hospital Inpatient Discharge Public Use Date File, CY09, Texas Department of State Health Services, Austin, Texas
There are two categories of arrhythmias:
- Ventricular arrhythmias - Happen in the heart's two lower chambers, called the ventricles.
- Supraventricular arrhythmias - Happen in the structures above the ventricles, mainly the atria, which are the heart's two upper chambers.
Arrhythmias are further defined by the speed of the heartbeats:
- Bradycardia - A very slow heart rate when the heart rate is less than 60 beats per minute.
- Tachycardia - A very fast heart rate when the heart beats faster than 100 beats per minute.
- Fibrillation - The most serious form of arrhythmia, is fast, uncoordinated beats, which are contractions of individual heart-muscle fibers.
Visit the website for Texas Heart® Institute (TexasHeart.org) for more information on:
Arrhythmia
Electrophysiology
Antiarrhythmic Medications
Find a Heart Specialist: (832) 355-DOCS (3627)
International Patients: (832) 355-3350
