The Cardiac Electrophysiology Laboratory
Electrophysiology is a cardiac specialty for treating disorders in the heart's electrical function. The electrophysiology laboratory at Washington County Hospital is an operating room where diagnosing arrhythmias can be performed by a board certified cardiologist with specialty in electrophysiology.

A cardiac ablation Hold pointer over image to animate

Arrhythmia An arrhythmia is an electrical disturbance that causes your heart to beat irregulary, interfering with the heart's ability to pump blood. The heart either beats too rapidly, too slowly, or does not maintain a steady rhythm. About 4% of the U.S. population has arrhythmias. An arrhythmia is diagnosed by electrocardiogram (EKG). The EKG records the relative timing of atrial and ventricular electrical events. There are primarily three types of arrhythmia treatments performed: implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICD), catheter ablations, and dual chamber pacemaker implantations. Each procedure is performed to treat a specific irregularity.

Rapid Heartbeat
An implantable cardioverter defibrillator is a device designed for electrical stimulation of the heart. It is used to treat patients at risk of abnormally fast heartbeat. Because a rapid contraction of the heart can cause a heart attack, the ICD detects any abnormalities in the heart rhythm and stimulates the heart to return to its normal rhythym.

Irregular Heartbeat
Catheter ablation is a non-surgical procedure that corrects the conduction pathway in the heart that causes arrhythmia. Once a disturbance is detected, radio frequency energy is used to break the connection that the disturbance flows through, eliminating the disturbance and allowing the heart to maintain its normal rhythm.

Slow Heartbeat Dual chamber pacemakers are inserted to treat patients with abnormally slow heartbeats. If a patient's heart is beating too slowly, the pacemaker sends signals to the heart, causing it to beat faster. Wires are threaded and attached to the heart surface through the patient's veins. This is a non-surgical procedure, and patients usually will be discharged the same day as the procedure.

An implanted pacemaker Hold pointer over image to animate

Scheduling an Appointment
Electrophysiology services are available by physician referral only. Talk to your physician about how the electrophysiology lab can help your heart condition. If your doctor determines that a referral is appropriate, please call Hagerstown Heart at 301-797-2525 (option 2) to schedule a consultation.

Joseph Reilly, MD Electrophysiology services at Washington County Hospital are performed by Joseph Reilly, MD of Hagerstown Heart. Dr. Reilly is board certified in cardiac electrophysiology and has over 15 years of experience in cardiology. Dr. Reilly practiced for fourteen years at Sinai Hospital in Baltimore before establishing his practice with Hagerstown Heart. Dr. Reilly is a member of the medical staff at Washington County Hospital and has performed more than 3,000 electrophysiology procedures during the course of his career. Dr. Reilly recently appeared on the Health Matters radio show. Click here to download a recording of the show in mp3 format.