Combining attentive, compassionate care with our extensive clinical and research resources, UT Southwestern's cardiology experts and vascular specialists deliver individualized care within pre-eminent health care facilities.
Cardiac Electrophysiology
New Patient Appointment or 214-645-8000
The experienced cardiologists at UT Southwestern Medical Center use advanced cardiac electrophysiology testing to study the heart’s electrical activity and pathways.
Our heart specialists use these minimally invasive tests to evaluate, diagnose, and guide the treatment of heart rhythm disorders.
Advanced Studies of the Heart’s Electrical Activity
Cardiac electrophysiology (EP) is the minimally invasive study of the heart’s electrical activity and pathways.
UT Southwestern’s experienced cardiologists use EP testing to carefully diagnose and guide the treatment of a variety of heart rhythm disorders.
During EP testing, the cardiologist safely reproduces the patient’s irregular heart rhythm using a pacemaker and then gives the patient different medications to determine which ones help regulate the rhythm.
Types of Electrophysiology Tests
There are many types of electrophysiology tests, such as:
- Stress testing: To evaluate and measure heart function during exertion
- Echocardiography (echo or cardiac ultrasound): To produce a moving picture of the heart using a device called a transducer that is placed on the chest
- Electrophysiology study: To test the heart's electrical pathways using a catheter with electrodes
- Event monitoring: To record and transmit electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) heart rhythm patterns with a pager-sized device activated by the patient
- Holter monitor: To automatically record a continuous ECG of the heart's electrical activity using an external device worn by the patient
What to Expect
To perform the testing, the cardiologist inserts several small catheters into a vein in the groin, arm, or neck and guides them to the heart. The catheters detect and analyze the heart’s electrical activity.
Support Services
UT Southwestern’s cardiac rehabilitation specialists create customized plans that integrate proper nutrition, exercise, and, if necessary, nicotine cessation into patients’ lifestyles to improve their cardiovascular health.
Clinical Trials
As one of the nation’s top academic medical centers, UT Southwestern offers a number of clinical trials aimed at improving the outcomes of patients with cardiovascular disease.
Clinical trials often give patients access to leading-edge treatments that are not yet widely available. Eligible patients who choose to participate in one of UT Southwestern’s clinical trials might receive treatments years before they are available to the public.
