Electrophysiology

The Virginia Mason Franciscan Health Center for Cardiovascular Health offers comprehensive assessment and treatment, including electrophysiology, for the full spectrum of cardiac rhythm disorders. Electrophysiologists are your heart’s “electrician.” They care for people with the most serious abnormal heart rhythms. Our highly skilled electrophysiology team specializes in the treatment of the most complex atrial and ventricular arrhythmias, making the Center for Cardiovascular Health a major referral center in the Pacific Northwest for electrophysiology procedures. 

An electrophysiology study is a test performed to assess your heart's electrical system and is used to diagnose abnormal heartbeats or arrhythmia. The test is performed by inserting a thin, flexible tube called a catheter into a blood vessel and guiding it to your heart. The catheter can detect electrical signals and determine where faulty signals are coming from.

Our electrophysiology team is one of the most experienced in Washington state. Our specialists:

• Perform more than 1,800 electrophysiology procedures and ablations each year
• Implant more than 1,400 devices annually 
• Have extensive experience in the treatment of atrial fibrillation performing over 1,300 each year 
• Pioneers in the field of conduction system pacing, including His bundle pacing and left bundle branch area pacing 

Our heart specialists have access to two dedicated electrophysiology labs and a device implantation room to provide care and treatment for arrhythmia (abnormal heart rhythm), atrial fibrillation, ventricular tachycardia, Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome and more. The focus of the electrophysiology lab is the diagnosis and treatment of problems with the "electrical" system of the heart.

Our team’s focus is on listening carefully to each of our patients and delivering expert care at every moment. Our newly designed, state-of-the-art suites provide a comfortable and safe environment for a wide variety of procedures, including: 

• Ablation of atrial flutter and complex atrial arrhythmias
• Atrial-ventricular node ablation
• Atrial defibrillator
• Biventricular pacemaker implantation for CHF
• Cryoablation and radiofrequency ablation for atrial fibrillation
• Endocardial and epicardial ablation of ventricular tachycardia
• Implantable loop recorder implant and follow-up
• Insertable loop recorder
• Noninvasive program stimulation
• Pacemaker and ICD lead extractions
• Tilt table testing
• Transvenous and subcutaneous ICD implantation
• Left atrial appendage occlusion
• Conduction system pacing

Using results from the procedures performed in the electrophysiology lab, we offer the most appropriate treatment options for your heart rhythm disturbance.  These options may consist of medications, pacemaker/defibrillator implantations, electrical shock, and application of heat (cautery) to the heart tissue.

Virginia Mason Franciscan Health is dedicated to patient safety. Our outcomes meet or exceed national benchmarks with complication rates consistently lower than national standards.

It’s one thing for us to tell you about our services, it’s another for our patients to tell you their success stories. Our videos and stories illustrate how treatment changed the lives of people like you.

Virginia Mason Franciscan Health is dedicated to taking care of your heart. Learn more about our resources and support.