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Electrophysiology
New Britain General campus
Normal heart function begins with an electrical impulse produced by the heart's own natural "pacemaker." Electrical impulses travel through a complex circuit within the heart and control heart rate and rhythm -- necessary for pumping blood through the heart and body. Cardiac disease may result in abnormal electrical activity and heart rhythms.
Life-threatening or life-disturbing rhythm abnormalities, called arrhythmias, frequently require an electrophysiology (EP) study. The study helps doctors identify the source and type of arrhythmia and most effective treatment.
The Hospital of Central Connecticut has on staff doctors Ellison Berns, Neil Lippman and Joseph Dell'Orfano, all board-certified cardiologists with specialized training in electrophysiology.
Arrhythmia treatments usually involve medication, but in some instances, a serious cardiac arrhythmia called ventricular tachycardia does not respond well to drug therapy. Because of the high risk of cardiac arrest, a defibrillator implanted in the chest is often the best treatment. An implantable cardiac defibrillator (ICD) detects the presence of the potentially deadly arrhythmia and within seconds delivers an electrical charge to the heart that can restore normal rhythm.
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