Treatment Options For Arrhythmia

Arrhythmia is treated solely if it raises the likelihood of grave arrhythmia or an escalated condition.

Bradycardia treatment (sluggish heartbeats): If the underlying issue is a hypo-active thyroid gland or a drug-associated side effect, then that problem would need prompt treatment. If there is no primary problem detected, then the doctor might recommend a pacemaker implantation.

Pacemaker – This small device inserted just beneath the skin of the chest or the abdomen reinstates the function of the atrioventricular node. It aids in controlling anomalous heart rhythms by sending electrical pulses to stimulate the heart into beating at a normal rate.

Tachycardia Treatment (rapid heartbeats):

• Vagal maneuvers – Particular maneuvers could be done by the patient that could aid in stopping arrhythmia that commences above the SVY or the lower half section of the heart. During the maneuver, the patient would be required to control breath, following which the patient would need to strain, cough or immerse the face in chilled water. There might be other forms of maneuvers that might be medically advised. The vagal nerves get affected during maneuvering that lead to the heart rate slowing down.
• Medicines - Though, these medications provide no cure, they are normally effectual in lowering occurrences of tachycardia alongside lowering down he heart rate when they happen. Such medications require proper administration for optimal outcome and to avert complications. In certain situations, the heart rate might plummet to precarious levels due to these medications, following which the patient might require to have a pacemaker.
• Cardioversion – When the tachycardia commences in the upper half of the heart or the atria and involves atrial fibrillation, then the doctor might administer a jolt of electric shock for resetting the heart back to normal rhythm – this procedure is known as cardioversion. This non-invasive, painless procedure is conducted externally under the influence of a drug relaxant.
• Ablation Therapy – This disease-elimination technique employs the use of one and at times, two catheters being introduced via the blood vessels into the inner part of the heart in locations that are deemed as the origin points of the arrhythmia. The electrodes located at the tip of the catheters are heated up or conversely chilled in order to freeze up the problem tissue. An infinitesimal part of the cardiac tissue is annihilated that leads to the creation of an electrical block along the conduit that is causing the arrhythmia.
• Implantable cardioverter- defibrillator or ICD – An ICD is implanted when the patient has a high likelihood of developing hasty or fibrillating ventricular heartbeat. The atrial (upper half of the heart) defibrillation or quivering is also treated with ICD. The ICD is inserted close to the left collarbone. The electrodes are located at the end of the wires that go via veins to the heart. The ICD examines the heart rhythm and causes the heart to pace much alike a pacemaker no sooner has it spotted an irregular sluggish rhythm. Specialists vouch for ICD’s to be better at majorly lowering the chances of a fatality due to arrhythmia as compared to medications.
• Maze Procedure- During the procedure a sequence of surgical slits are done in the upper half of the heart or atria. After they undergo healing, they transform into scars that become frontiers which ascertain proper flow of the electrical impulses that aid in effectually maintaining steady heart beats. This is an invasive, open-heart surgical intervention with high success rate and is usually the option carried out for those that have shown little improvement after trying other treatments.
• Ventricular aneurysm surgery – When the presence of a lump or aneurysm in the blood vessel that leads to the heart is the reason behind arrhythmia, and none of the treatments are proving beneficial, then the aneurysm could be surgically removed. The surgery has a high success rate – though at times it is employed when the inserted ICD or catheter ablation does not function properly.
• Coronary Bypass Surgery – Coronary bypass surgery is conducted on those patients with severe case of coronary heart disease along with recurrent ventricular tachycardia. A grafting is done wherein the arteries or veins from other parts of the body are implanted to the coronary arteries for bypassing atherosderotic constriction and improving blood supply to the heart muscle or myocardium.

Popularity: 10% [?]