Electrophysiology (EP) procedures are crucial in diagnosing and treating various heart rhythm disorders. They involve a doctor placing thin catheters into the heart to assess its electrical activity. DEAR DR.

Understanding the Context

ROACH: I’m an 88-year-old female who has been diagnosed with ventricular fibrillation. My cardiac electrophysiology doctor, who implanted a conventional pacemaker four years ago, has noticed ... An electrophysiology procedure is a series of tests doctors use to evaluate the electrical activity of your heart. It's most often used to diagnose an arrhythmia.

Key Insights

Electrophysiology (from Ancient Greek: ἤλεκτρον, romanized: ēlektron, lit. 'amber' [see the etymology of "electron"]; φύσις, physis, 'nature, origin'; and -λογία, -logia) is the branch of physiology that studies the electrical properties of biological cells and tissues. Electrophysiologists are doctors who specialize in treating cardiac problems involving electrical activity and arrhythmia. Learn more about the conditions electrophysiologists treat and when... An electrophysiology (EP) study is a series of tests that examine the heart's electrical activity.

Final Thoughts

It's also called an invasive cardiac electrophysiology test. The heart's electrical system produces signals that control the timing of the heartbeats. Electrophysiology studies (EP studies) are tests that help health care professionals understand the cause of abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias). Electrophysiologic testing uses catheters inserted into the heart to find out where abnormal heartbeats are coming from. What is an electrophysiology study? An electrophysiology study (EP study) is a test used to evaluate your heart's electrical system and to check for abnormal heart rhythms.