Keeping the Beat

The Electrophysiology Lab has a complex name but a simple mission: keeping your heart beating properly. Some peoples’ hearts can beat irregularly or not strongly enough, due to malfunctions in the heart’s complex electrical system. Millions of Americans and many people in our community experience these life-altering problems, including atrial fibrillations, palpitations, slow rhythms, and heart failure.The Electrophysiology Lab in the San Francisco Heart and Vascular Institute at Seton Medical Center addresses these issues using advanced technology and techniques. In the lab, heart specialists perform a minimally invasive test in which they place sensors in the heart chambers to monitor electrical activity and create a digital, 3-D map of the heart’s electrical system. “From this map, we can pinpoint where abnormal electrical activity occurs and decide which treatments can heal or manage it,” says Louis L. Manilla, Manager of the Institute.Treatments performed in the lab are some of the most advanced available anywhere. For more information about help for heart rhythm problems or to make an appointment with a heart specialist, contact the Institute at 650.991.6712.