Heart Rhythm Abnormalities Program

The Heart Rhythm Abnormalities Program offers patients a range of unique services for heart rhythm abnormalities, also known as heart arrhythmia . Heart rhythm abnormalities affect the heart’s electrical system and are characterized by abnormally slow, abnormally rapid, or irregular heartbeats. The Heart Rhythm Abnormalities Program provides state-of-the-art diagnosis and treatment of the full spectrum of heart rhythm abnormalities.

Lifesaving and life-altering procedures are performed in suites equipped with cutting-edge technology using world-class techniques. Our multidisciplinary team includes Western-educated electro-physiologists and physicians, who have worked in respected international hospitals, including the Cleveland Clinic in the US.

The Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute recently became the first center in the UAE to offer remote heart monitoring, so that patients with implantable cardiac devices such as pacemakers and defibrillators, can be monitored in the comfort of their home.

What We Treat

The Heart Rhythm Abnormalities Program at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi offers comprehensive treatment on both an outpatient and inpatient basis.

Heart rhythm abnormalities of the heart’s electrical system can happen at any age. Some are due to birth defects that affect the electrical circuits of the heart, such as abnormal electrical connections that create “short circuits” and cause significant symptoms. Others are related to conditions such as high blood pressure, heart attacks, abnormalities of the heart valves, obesity, and diabetes.

Depending on the type of heart rhythm abnormality, symptoms may include:

• Heart palpitations
• Chest discomfort
• Dizziness
• Difficulty breathing
• Loss of consciousness (syncope).

Treatment plans are individualized to address the unique needs of every patient. The Heart Rhythm Abnormalities Program offers the latest treatments, such as leadless pacemakers and subcutaneous defibrillators.

Diagnosis of Heart Rhythm Abnormalities

Diagnostic methods are selected based on the patient’s symptoms. First, a thorough medical history is obtained, then an electrocardiogram (ECG), or electrical recording of the heart, identifies any abnormalities in the generation or distribution of the heart’s electricity. Testing is done in the electrophysiology (EP) laboratory.

To assist in diagnosis and treatment, patients may be asked to wear a lightweight heart monitor for up to seven days. If the patient has infrequent but serious symptoms, a tiny heart monitor can be implanted under the skin for up to three years.

Treatment for Heart Rhythm Abnormalities

The Heart Rhythm Abnormalities Program’s multidisciplinary team develops individualized treatment plans according to the type of heart rhythm abnormality detected in the patient.

Patients with slow heart rates (bradycardia) may require implantation of a pacemaker to stabilize their condition.

Patients with a rapid heart rhythm (tachycardia) or with an irregular heart rhythm (arrhythmia) can be treated with therapeutic medication or with other therapies. Rapid heart rhythms can be treated, and possibly cured, with catheter ablation. Catheter ablation is an invasive therapy used to correct abnormal electrical connections in the heart, where catheters and probes are inserted into the heart through the groin area.

Certain patients with weak heart muscles or inherited electrical abnormalities of the heart sometimes require implantable defibrillators to decrease their risk of sudden cardiac death, or sudden cardiac arrest, when the heart stops beating. Some forms of pacemakers can, by synchronization of the heart’s electricity, improve the heart’s performance.

Patients with atrial fibrillation, a heart rhythm abnormality associated with an increased risk of stroke, heart failure, and other symptoms, can expect a multidisciplinary approach to their diagnosis and treatment.