Aa
Aa
A
A
A
Close
Avatar universal

Dumb question - will they check for blocked arteries during EP study?

I'm having an EP study and possible ablation on Oct 4th.  I'm curious...since they're in there...do you they check for artery blockages?  Or is that a completely different entry point into the system, etc...

Thanks
3 Responses
Sort by: Helpful Oldest Newest
20748650 tn?1521032211
COMMUNITY LEADER
P.S The above post assumes you have not yet had a heart cath.

If however you HAVE had a cath.. particularly if you had a cath and subsequently have found yourself exhibiting ‘scarier’ arrhythmic episodes (ie Ventricular Tachycardia)... your odds of getting such a study go up exponentially.

This is the primary focus of the ‘academic’ usage of the test. Gaining a better understanding of how exactly heart muscle death can lead to future sudden death due to heart rhythms is a poppin research subject in Cardiology right now.
Helpful - 0
1 Comments
See I think something may have happened during my cardiac cath in 2010. I had an EP study 2 years prior for SVT and one of my Hooters caught a brief run of NSVT. In any case I didnt have ablation because he couldn't provoke arrhythmia long enough for mapping.. 2 years later I was having relentless chest pain and given the history of sudden death on my fathers side my cardio wanted me to have a cardiac cath even though I was only 28 years old. All turned out fine he said he didnt even see any plaque at all. It turned out the pain was being caused by my gallbladder. I am unsure why no one thought of this especially when I was given a shot of morphine at the hospital and it made my pain 100 times worse. I told them and they were all like that's impossible but I read its tell tale sign lol

In any case a week after I had that cardiac cath I had my very first dizzy spell. Lasted only seconds but it scared the crap out of me and I also had an episode of waking up gasping feeling like my heart had stopped. I was worked up but it nothing was found and over the years I really couldn't be worked up again for it because it would happen only once every several months and only for a couple seconds. I had an episode about a month after that cath where I felt my hard start beating very hard and fast but not regular. It was like very fast heart beat with a bunch of PVCS and it ended with a very hard bang but it's only happened 1 other time since then and years ago now so maybe it's gone for good or it somehow happens and I just don't feel it as over the years I have grown use to all the pvcs and SVTS. I stopped treatment with the dangerous meds my dr had me on and I just deal with them as they come. My SVT terminates on it's own and doesn't give me any problems except just the feeling of my heart racing. With all the weird things my heart has been known to do none of them ever caused me to feel faint and when the spells happen I feel nothing in my chest but apparently I have gotten so use to the pvcs that most of the times I don't even feel them anymore.
Over a year ago now the dizzy spells and waking up gasping have started happening much more frequently. I think I blacked out once last year while laying down. I have had brain MRIs, 6 hour eegs and the usual from nuerologist and nothing was found and then the basic work up from cardio which supposedly there were only mild changes to my echo and one of the monitors I have worn since then showed some first degree AV block, one strip showed second degree and just the normal SVT, PVCS, PACS some ventricular couplets and so I went to see the dr who did my ep study years ago and he advised against another ep study at this time which is good but he wanted to implant a monitor which I had done yesterday to see if it catches anything. I had some genetic testing last week that deals with hereditary heart stuff and she will call me with the results but she also wants me to have a cardiac MRI so I'm waiting to hear from her.
I am only 14 years younger then my father was and his father when they died suddenly and so I'm scared there could be something there or since I never had dizzy or near fainting spells before that cardiac cath maybe something happened...

Sorry that was so long but you seem pretty knowledgeable.
20748650 tn?1521032211
COMMUNITY LEADER
Good job all!

Yes.. completely different tests. There are some types of tests that can be done in an EP study which MAY yield very INDIRECT information about a heart attack or chronic coronary disease. Unfortunately the diagnostic benefits of such tests are not exactly endorsed by the big wigs (FDA, AHA, Hospital Admins) as an ‘official’ screening option.

Additionally the economic cost of an EP study is significantly higher than that of a Cardiac Cath, thus neither insurance companies nor the financial interests that would have to shell out the millions per hospital upfront for supply are particularly in any rush to push for adding such a protocol to the standard protocol.

Such tests within an EP study are therefore performed very infrequently and are often reserved for academic interests (Medical Studies/Trials).

That all said, depending what sort of system/procedure you are having it may be possible to do such a study with the equipment that’s already being placed inside your heart (ie no extra cost for supplies). Agreeing to it however would likely soak up an extra 30 mins- 1 hour of the teams time (ie facility labor costs) and given the theoretical/speculative/unofficial nature of the results it would be time that the team would be volunteering for free.

Not to mention if they actually found something interesting they would have to talk to the coronary doctors to do a work up.. and potentially have to explain their justifications for acting as they did in the process.

In short, you’re welcome to ask... but it’s a long shot and wouldn’t change the need to be cathed in order to obtain a formal diagnosis and treatment.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
These are 2 totally different tests. The test where they check for blockages uses dye and an x ray machine to look for blockages. This test is only looking at the electrical aspect of your heart.
Helpful - 0
3 Comments
They do go in the same way though, with a cather, guided through your groin and up into your heart but they are 2 different tests.
Thanks!
Your most welcome ♡
Have an Answer?

You are reading content posted in the Heart Rhythm Community

Top Arrhythmias Answerers
1807132 tn?1318743597
Chicago, IL
1423357 tn?1511085442
Central, MA
Learn About Top Answerers
Didn't find the answer you were looking for?
Ask a question
Popular Resources
Are there grounds to recommend coffee consumption? Recent studies perk interest.
Salt in food can hurt your heart.
Get answers to your top questions about this common — but scary — symptom
How to know when chest pain may be a sign of something else
A list of national and international resources and hotlines to help connect you to needed health and medical services.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.