Arrhythmias

Your heart runs on electricity. Electrical impulses control and regulate your heart rate. When the "electrical system" isn't working properly, you may experience irregular heartbeats, or arrhythmias.

Arrhythmias: Advanced Care in Tampa, FL

Electrophysiologists (EPs) are cardiologists who specialize in diagnosing and treating heart rhythm disorders. At St. Joseph's Hospital Heart and Vascular Institute, we perform these procedures in our dedicated electrophysiology laboratory, one of the most sophisticated EP labs in Tampa.

We offer the latest technology for treating a wide range of heart rhythm problems and services. 

Arrhythmia procedures we perform include:

  • Pacemaker implantation, including biventricular pacemakers, to help regulate heart rhythms
  • Implantable defibrillators, a device implanted near your heart to prevent heart attacks
  • Radiofrequency ablation to control atrial fibrillation (a fast heartbeat) and other heart rhythm irregularities
  • Cryoablation, a process that uses extreme cold to destroy the heart tissue causing atrial fibrillation
  • Hybrid/Convergent, is a minimally invasive hybrid procedure that combines both catheterization and electrophysiology

Our physicians were the first in the country to successfully treat atrial fibrillation with cryoablation. In addition, the Heart and Vascular Institute is the only center in Florida participating in the first clinical trial using an advanced catheter for this procedure. Learn more about atrial fibrillation treatment.

Atrial Fibrillation: Advanced Care in Tampa, FL

Atrial fibrillation (AFib), a fast, erratic heartbeat, is the most common arrhythmia.

AFib affects more than 2.5 million people in the United States. Doctors diagnose more than 180,000 people with AFib every year. An aging population and the increased occurrence of heart disease is leading to a rise in these numbers.

During AFib:

Your heart does not beat normally. This makes it difficult for the heart to pump blood efficiently to the rest of the body, depriving your body of necessary oxygen and nutrients.

Because your heart does not beat normally, the blood may pool in the heart. This may lead to blood clots, which can travel to the brain and cause a stroke. In fact, 15 percent of all strokes occur in people with atrial fibrillation.

Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation at St. Joseph's

Until recently, the options for treating AFib have been limited. However, with the development of new techniques and procedures, doctors today can restore the normal heart rhythm more successfully than ever before. Our clinical team has extensive experience with both catheter and surgical-based ablation of atrial fibrillation, offering a complete range of therapeutic options.

Contact Us

For more information or for a physician referral, please call (813) 644-4322.