Louisville’s Arrhythmia Treatment Destination

The Norton Heart & Vascular Institute Heart Rhythm Center is the leading provider of comprehensive care for Louisville and Southern Indiana patients with arrhythmias. Our board-certified and fellowship-trained electrophysiologists and comprehensive array of treatment options create a destination for care for irregular heartbeats in Louisville and Southern Indiana.

The Heart Rhythm Center Features:

• Cardiologists who are board-certified in electrophysiology, a highly specialized discipline that focuses on the heart’s electrical system that controls rhythm and performance; each with at least 10 years of medical training, including three years beyond board-certified training in cardiology.
• A staff of physicians and advanced practice providers with collectively more than 100 years’ experience with heart arrhythmias
• A support team of electrophysiology nurse practitioners, a board-certified electrophysiology physician assistant, device clinicians and medical assistants
• A dedicated nurse educator to assist patients in understanding their condition and connecting them to resources as needed
• A device-monitoring team that provides around-the-clock digital monitoring for the detection of heart arrhythmias
• A device-check and adjustment clinic for patients with permanent pacemakers and implantable defibrillators
• A deep commitment to innovation and advancing the science of heart care through research and clinical trials to provide cutting-edge arrhythmia diagnosis, monitoring, treatment options and surgical techniques

Diagnosis and Monitoring

Heart rhythm issues can cause the heart to beat too fast, too slowly or erratically. Arrhythmia symptoms can come and go over minutes or hours. To accurately and quickly diagnose a heart rhythm issue, our team uses a full suite of the latest in technology and devices to diagnose and monitor your heart rhythm in a way that is as convenient as possible for you.

All of our devices are monitored by our Heart Rhythm Center device monitoring team.

Diagnostic and monitoring technology we use includes:

• Echocardiogram — a test that provides pictures of the heart’s valves and chambers, typically performed at one of our diagnostic centers by a technician
• In-lab electrocardiogram (EKG) — a test that measures the electrical activity of the heartbeat at one of our diagnostic centers
• AliveCor — EKG monitoring device that connects to a smartphone app
• Zio patch — small, adhesive, water-resistant, medical-grade monitor which can be worn for 14 days to record heart rhythms (EKG)
• Holter monitor — battery-operated portable device that measures and records your heart’s activity continuously for 24 to 48 hours or longer depending on the type
• Reveal LINQ — implantable loop recording device, about the size of a paper clip, that monitors heart rhythms for up to three years

Treatment Options

Each person with a heart arrhythmia is unique, just as the right treatment plan is unique to each person. Taking into consideration the type of arrhythmia and exact location in the heart, our team will work with you and your primary care provider or cardiologist to create a treatment plan that is right for you.

Treatment options for arrhythmia include:

• Medication management
• Pacemaker
• Implantable cardiac defibrillator
• Cardiac catheter ablation — radiofrequency ablation (small burst of heat) and cryo-ablation (cold)
• Maze procedure
• Hybrid ablation procedure — a hybrid ablation and surgical procedure
• Left atrial appendage closure — implant of the Watchman device to reduce the risk of stroke

The Norton Heart & Vascular Institute has three state-of-the-art electrophysiology labs located in our hospital facilities. We use 3D imaging to map your heart, identify the spot of tissue that’s causing the irregular heartbeat and then complete minimally invasive procedures to treat the issue.

The American College of Cardiology has recognized Norton Audubon Hospital and Norton Hospital for their expertise and commitment to treating patients with atrial fibrillation, a common arrhythmia. The accreditation includes special recognition of the full suite of electrophysiology and surgical services we provide.

Surgical Interventions

Heart Rhythm Center electrophysiologists work closely with Norton Cardiothoracic Surgery to offer the latest in surgical correction for heart arrhythmias. Norton Heart & Vascular Institute’s three board-certified and fellowship-trained cardiothoracic surgeons are experienced in advanced open-heart surgery such as heart bypass and valve replacement, as well as minimally invasive, robotic-assisted procedures on the heart, lungs and other organs in the chest. Together, this team offers patients facing a heart arrhythmia every option to eliminate their arrhythmia.

Conditions We Treat

• Heart arrhythmia
• Atrial fibrillation (A-fib)
• Atrial flutter
• Supraventricular tachycardia
• Ventricular tachycardia
• Sudden cardiac arrest
• Syncope
• Heart failure