Providence Heart Rhythm

503-216-0770

Our Approach Services Treatments Patient Education and Resources

For those with an abnormal heart rhythm, or arrhythmia, getting care from an expert is important. Our team of cardiologists, electrophysiologists, advanced practice providers, nurses and technicians provide complete care for patients with heart rhythm conditions. Often, a general cardiologist will start with a thorough diagnosis, and if needed, they may refer you to an electrophysiologist – a specialist who focuses on heart rhythm conditions and abnormalities - for additional testing and treatment.

Providence Heart Institute’s heart rhythm program offers the latest testing and treatments for a wide variety of heart rhythm problems. In Oregon, our program performs the most electrophysiology inpatient procedures annually. We also partner with cardiac specialists across the Providence system in seven states to provide the best outcomes for our patients.

Services

Together, we’ll create a highly personalized treatment plan to manage your unique heart rhythm condition with an emphasis on clear communication, compassion and accessibility to our services. We treat:

Atrial fibrillation
Atrial flutter
Ventricular tachycardia
Supraventricular tachycardia
Bradycardia
Long QT syndrome
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
Cardiac arrest

With the latest diagnostics available, tests to help diagnose arrhythmia may include:

Electrocardiogram (EKG): This test measures the electrical activity of your heart, including how fast it is beating and whether the rhythm is steady.
Holter monitor: A wearable EKG device tracks your heart’s electrical activity during your day.
Echocardiogram: An echo test uses sound waves to create images of the size, structure and movement of your heart.
Event monitor: This wearable EKG detects heart rhythm problems that don’t happen often. You may be asked to wear it for up to 30 days.
Stress test: Some arrhythmias can be brought on when you exercise. A stress test measures your heart’s activity while you walk on a treadmill or pedal a stationary bike.
Tilt table test: If you have a symptom of fainting or almost passing out, a tilt table test may be recommended. With this test, your blood pressure and heart rate are measured while lying down and standing up.
Electrophysiologic test: An EP study is done in the hospital and may be recommended if you have isolated arrhythmias that are not easily diagnosed.

Treatments

Heart rhythm conditions can be complex and require a personalized treatment plan. Most often, conditions are treated with medications or a minimally invasive procedure. At Providence, we perform more than 1,400 procedures, annually, including ablation, pacemaker and defibrillator procedures at our three state-of-the-art electrophysiology laboratories. Genetic testing for inherited conditions is also available.

Treatment options may include:

Medication
Cardioversion
Cardiac ablation - The Providence Portland Medical Center team has the distinction of being the first on the West Coast to offer the convergent procedure. This minimally invasive ablation procedure combines the skills of two experts, an electrophysiologist and a cardiothoracic surgeon, working in tandem, while significantly reducing the risk and recovery time for the patient.
Epicardial ablation
Pacemaker placement
Implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD)
Miniature heart monitor
Lead extraction