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AFib and heart arrhythmia care
Heart doctors at Ascension St. John in Oklahoma deliver specialized heart care for AFib and other heart arrhythmias.
Heart rhythm and AFib care in Oklahoma
Heart doctors at Ascension St. John in Oklahoma deliver specialized heart care for AFib and other heart arrhythmias.
Why choose us
When you choose Ascension St. John for your heart arrhythmia, your doctor is part of a nationally recognized program known for providing excellence in pacemaker treatment. Our heart program offers advanced screenings and diagnostics from a team who cares.
Understand your heart arrhythmia
Electrophysiologists specialize in arrhythmias, such as atrial fibrillation (AFib), a type of arrhythmia where your heart beat is irregular, either too fast or too slow. It is a heart rhythm disorder that can be a sign of a more serious condition. Other symptoms of AFib may include chest pain, sweating, fatigue, shortness of breath, and weakness. AFib may come and go and affect how your heart pumps blood through your body, increasing your risk for stroke and congestive heart failure.
What is AFib?
Dr. Wu explains what is atrial fibrillation.
AFib prevention
Dr. Wu talks about prevention and risk factors of atrial fibrillation.
Symptoms of AFib and other heart arrhythmias
Common symptoms heart arrhythmias include:
- Anxiety or feeling uneasy
- Chest discomfort or pain
- Dizziness or lightheadedness
- Fatigue or feeling unusually tired
- Fainting
- Fluttering feeling in the chest
- Irregular or rapid heartbeat
- Shortness of breath
- Skipping or pounding heartbeat
- Weakness or difficulty exercising
How we diagnose AFib
Your doctor may recommend a series of tests as part of your care plan. EKGs, stress tests and blood tests are used to help detect an irregular heartbeat. You and your doctor will work together to choose a treatment option that is right for you.
A blood test is a lab analysis of things that may be found in your blood. You may have blood tests to keep track of how well you are managing a condition, such as diabetes or high cholesterol. You may also have them for routine checkups or when you are ill.
A chest X-ray is a quick, noninvasive imaging test that provides a detailed picture of the inside of your chest, helping your care team detect signs of a heart condition.
Echocardiography (Echo) detailed text
Our cardiology team uses advanced diagnostic tools and expertise to accurately identify a wide range of cardiac issues, ensuring you receive the right care as early as possible.
Our cardiology team uses advanced diagnostic tools and expertise to accurately identify a wide range of cardiac issues, ensuring you receive the right care as early as possible.
Our electrophysiology (EP) team performs advanced EP studies to diagnose the source and type of arrhythmias accurately. Using specialized catheters and real-time mapping, we evaluate your heart's electrical activity to guide the best treatment plan for your heart condition.
For this test, you wear a small, portable, battery-powered machine used to record ECG over several weeks. Each time you have symptoms, you press a button on the recorder to record the ECG sample. As soon as possible, you will transmit this sample to your doctor for evaluation.
For this test, you wear a small, portable, battery-powered ECG machine. Small patches (wired electrodes) are attached to the skin over your heart. The monitor records heartbeats over a period of 24 to 48 hours during normal activities. At the end of the time period, you will return the monitor to your doctor so it can be read and evaluated. Some Holter monitors can be worn for up to 2 weeks. These monitors are patches and don't require wires.
Your electrophysiologist may recommend a loop recorder implantation to help diagnose irregular heart rhythms that may be difficult to detect with standard monitoring. This small device is placed just under the skin to record your heart's activity over time continuously. If the monitoring shows that you have a heart condition, your doctor will work with you to create a treatment plan that is right for you.
This test is similar to a transthoracic echocardiogram. But it's done with medicine to help you relax (sedation). It's considered invasive because a probe is put into your body. In this test, you will swallow a small probe about the size of your thumb. The probe passes down the esophagus, which lies directly behind the heart. It allows a much closer look at the heart's structure and function than a standard echocardiogram done on the skin of the chest. It can better look at heart valve structure and function. Your doctor can better see any blood clots that may be in the heart.
How we treat AFib and other heart arrhythmias
Treatment for AFib and other heart arrhythmias may include medication, therapy or surgery.
Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) is treatment to help restore the normal rhythm (timing pattern) of the heartbeat. A CRT pacemaker is a specific type of pacemaker with an additional wire that goes to the left side of the heart. This allows it to coordinate the timing between the left and right sides of the heart.
Cardioversion is a procedure that uses controlled electrical energy or medication to restore the heart to a normal rhythm. It may be recommended for people experiencing certain irregular heartbeats, including atrial fibrillation.
This procedure uses radio frequency energy or freezing to get rid of problem areas in the heart that cause abnormal heart rhythm. The abnormal area is found during an electrophysiology study. This study maps the electrical activity that controls the heart rhythm. This procedure can diagnose and potentially cure abnormal heart rhythms.
Left atrial appendage (LAA) closure procedures help reduce stroke risk in patients with non-valvular AFib who are unable to take long-term blood thinners. Using minimally invasive procedures such as the WATCHMAN™ device, heart specialists close off the LAA to prevent blood clots from entering the bloodstream and causing a stroke.
This surgical procedure is used to treat AFib, helping to restore your heart rhythm. Heart surgeons use a maze pattern technique to create incisions in the heart's upper chambers to block abnormal electrical signals. The maze procedure, also known as the Cox-Maze procedure, uses cold and hot energy to create a scarring effect that corrects the heart signals that cause arrhythmia.
Your cardiologist might recommend a pacemaker if you have irregular heartbeats, a slow heart rate or are experiencing heart block. A pacemaker helps keep your heart regulated by sending electric signals to your heart if it senses trouble. The device is implanted under the skin and helps improve symptoms such as fatigue, dizziness and fainting.
We offer radiofrequency or catheter ablation to treat certain types of arrhythmias, including AFib and supraventricular tachycardia (SVT). During this minimally invasive procedure, a catheter is guided through a blood vessel to the heart, where targeted heat energy is used to interrupt abnormal electrical signals and restore a normal heart rhythm.
There are four types of catheter ablation:
- Radiofrequency ablation: Uses heat to destroy abnormal cells.
- Cryoablation: Uses cold to destroy abnormal cells affecting the heartbeat.
- Pulsed field ablation: Uses electricity to create small holes in heart cells that destroy abnormal cells while preserving surrounding tissues and minimizing the impact on areas outside the heart, such as the esophagus and lungs.
- Robotic hybrid convergent ablation: Performed in more advanced stages through a combined approach by a cardiac surgeon and an electrophysiologist.
How we treat AFib?
Dr. Wu talks about treatment options, minimal and non-invasive, for atrial fibrillation.
How to get care
Find a doctor by calling or scheduling an appointment online. Ask if a virtual visit is an option for your care. Need a second opinion appointment? Our team can help. Schedule a consultation today.
Excellence in pacemaker implantation
Ascension St. John Medical Center has been named one of U.S. News & World Report’s High Performing Hospitals for 2025–2026 for high performing ratings in pacemaker implantation.
Get a second opinion
When you are facing a new diagnosis or are deciding on a surgical or therapeutic treatment plan, there’s a lot to think about. If you are looking for a second opinion for advanced heart care, our electrophysiologists can also connect you with the right specialists for minimally invasive surgery, including WATCHMAN and ablation. Our heart and vascular specialists can provide a second opinion, based on our experience and as part of a national care team.
Before your appointment, check with your insurance company to find out if a second opinion is covered. We can request your medical records on your behalf, so that they can be shared with your care team before your arrival.
If you are experiencing a life-threatening emergency, go directly to the ER or call 911.
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