Arrhythmia happens when your heart beats at an irregular, or abnormal rhythm. Electrical impulses control and coordinate your heartbeats. If these electrical impulses aren't working properly, this may cause your heart to beat:
Bryan Heart arrhythmia care is so advanced that patients throughout Nebraska and the Midwest turn to us for treatment to restore heart rhythm, and improve their quality of life. Cardiac electrophysiology is a branch of cardiac care that treats heart rhythm disorders, also known as arrhythmias. Our skilled doctors specialize in cardiac electrophysiology, providing the most advanced procedures to diagnose and treat heart rhythm conditions.
In addition to diagnosis and treatment, Bryan Heart arrhythmia doctors, nurses and staff continue your care with follow-up clinics. You can trust our team to provide dedicated care to you, so you don’t miss a beat in your life.
Common Conditions
Bryan Heart board certified electrophysiologists treat all types of heart rhythm disorders, including:
- Atrial fibrillation (Afib)
- Ventricular fibrillation
- Ventricular tachycardia
- Premature ventricular contractions (PVCs)
- Supraventricular Tachycardia (SVT)
- Bradycardia
- Complete heart block
Through Bryan Medical Center, our doctors have access to the most advanced technology to diagnose and treat heart rhythm disorders. Bryan Heart also participates in national research trials, giving you access to advanced treatments otherwise not available to the public.
Diagnostic Services
Bryan Heart physicians, along with the Bryan Medical Center electrophysiology lab, offer a wide range of tests to diagnose heart rhythm problems. Your doctor will determine the best tests for you.
Electrophysiology studies (EP study)
A study to measure the heart’s electrical activity and pathways. These measurements are helpful to diagnose abnormal heart rhythms. The results of this study help decide treatment options, if needed.
Electrocardiogram (EKG)
Wires (electrodes) are attached to your skin to measure your heart’s electrical impulses.
Monitors
When your heart’s not working right, you don’t feel well. But sometimes the feeling can come and go, and it’s hard to describe to your doctor. That’s where these monitors come in. You wear them under your clothes while you continue your normal activities. We’ll have you wear a monitor that will either continuously capture all your heartbeats and other vital information, or you will record this information when you’re feeling that something isn’t right. This detailed information will help your doctor identify what is causing your heart problems and the next steps. We offer several different monitoring options depending on your situation.
Bryan Heart and Bryan Medical Center offer these monitor device options:
- Holter Monitor – worn for 24-48 hours to continuously monitor your heart and vital signs
- Leadless Extended Wear Monitor – wireless monitor worn for seven-30 days to continuously monitor your heart and vital signs
- Event Monitor – worn for 30 days to record your heart activity for specific events; you begin the recording when you feel heart sensations such as fluttering and other occurrences
- Implantable Loop Monitor – similar to the event monitor only this is implanted in your chest and records all heart activity over a longer period of time
Tilt Table Test
This test assesses dizziness and is especially helpful if you’ve had repeated, unexplained fainting (syncope).
Treatments
Bryan Heart doctors provide a range of advanced treatments at Bryan Medical Center to restore and monitor your heart rhythm. Our doctors are at the forefront of introducing new technologies to improve your care.
Some of our many treatment options include:
Cryoablation
A minimally invasive procedure using 3D imaging to guide a tube with a balloon into your heart to destroy tissue that may be causing your abnormal heartbeat so you can regain your regular, healthy heart rhythm. Cryoablation delivers extreme cold energy to a balloon in the vein to freeze the tissue. Only team to offer this service in Nebraska.
Radiofrequency Catheter Ablation
This is the same type of treatment as above only with a different energy source. Your doctor will determine the best approach for you.
Pacemakers
A pacemaker a small device implanted in the chest to help control abnormal heart rhythms. Pacemakers use electrical impulses to set your heart beat at a regular rate.
ICD Implants (implantable cardioverter defibrillator)
A defibrillator is a pacemaker with the added ability of delivering therapy (shocks) to the heart if the heartbeat gets too fast. This is done to treat life threatening heart rhythms that can lead to sudden cardiac death.
Stereotaxis Epoch
A state-of-the-art computer guided robotic system that allows doctors to safely navigate your heart to remove diseased tissue that causes irregular heartbeats. Only team to offer this service in Nebraska.
Maze Procedure
A surgery performed by a cardiothoracic surgeon to treat atrial fibrillation. The surgeon uses techniques to create scar tissue, which block the abnormal electrical signals causing your arrhythmia.
Medication Management
In some cases, your arrhythmia may be controlled with medications along with ongoing monitoring to ensure continued effectiveness.
Follow-up Care for Implanted Cardiac Devices (Pacemaker, Defibrillator or Recorder)
To ensure proper function of your implanted cardiac device (a pacemaker, defibrillator or recorder) follow-up appointments with staff are critical to your ongoing care and health.
Follow-up care options, depending on your needs, include office visits, remote transmission of information from your home, and outreach clinics offering convenient care for patients across the state.
Bryan Heart follow-up care in our Lincoln office includes:
- Monitoring of device batteries to ensure continued battery life
- Monitoring of device to ensure it is working properly
- Remote monitoring from the convenience of your home which allows our trained staff to identify potential issues without an office visit
- Assessing information in the device to improve your daily life and the way you feel, as needed
We encourage you to call our office at any time if you are not feeling well or have concerns about your implanted cardiac device (a pacemaker, defibrillator or recorder).
Outreach device clinics offer convenient follow-up appointments for our patients throughout Nebraska, and in Iowa and Missouri.
Living with a Pacemaker or Defibrillator Support Group
We offer a quarterly support group for people with an implantable cardiac device and their loved ones. It’s an opportunity to share experiences with others, gain support and understanding for changes in your life, and to learn more about daily life with your device. For the next Living with a Pacemaker or Defibrillator Support Group date, see the panel box on this page or visit our calendar. Look for this support group under community programs or use the search function.
