Rush Arrhythmia Center - Chicago

Atrial fibrillation is an irregular, often rapid heart rate that commonly causes poor blood flow and is associated with an increased risk of stroke.

Atrial flutter is a condition in which the heart's upper chambers (atria) beat too quickly.

Inherited cardiac arrhythmia and channelopathies are caused by mutations in gene coding that affect proteins that regulate the electrical function of the heart. If diagnosed early, our team will provide preventive measures that can help you and family manage this diagnosis.

Ventricular arrhythmia is a condition in which the lower chambers of the heart (ventricles) beat very quickly.

Premature ventricular contractions are benign, in most cases, but if bothersome or frequent, our team offers an ablation procedure to target the abnormal signals that cause this issue, which can help reduce your associated symptoms.

Sports cardiology is an evolving field that includes the care of athletes and active individuals with cardiovascular conditions, such as arrhythmias. Our sports cardiology program includes physicians with specific knowledge in the field who provide recommendations for athletes, allowing them to make informed decisions to safely and effectively participate in their sport.

Supraventricular arrhythmia is a rapid heartbeat that develops in the upper chambers of your heart when the normal electrical impulses of your heart are disrupted.

Cardiac implantable devices: Cardiac implantable devices are designed to help control or monitor irregular heartbeats if you experience certain heart rhythm disorders and heart failure. Rush offers the following types of implantable devices and associated procedures:

• Pacemakers are implanted to regulate a slow heart rate. Our team has experience in implanting pacemaker leads through the veins and with leadless pacing systems.
  • Conduction system pacing (His bundle and left bundle branch pacing) is a method for using your own electrical system to create a more uniform heartbeat. This pacing technique reduces the incidence of heart failure and atrial fibrillation has shown to reduce the incidence of heart failure and atrial fibrillation. Our team is a leader in the Chicago area and is among the most experienced in the nation with innovative His bundle and left bundle branch pacing techniques.
  • Cardiac resynchronization therapy involves inserting a pacing system that delivers small electrical impulses to the left and right ventricles of your heart to help them contract at the same time. This will help your heart pump more efficiently and will help reduce heart failure symptoms.
• Cardiac defibrillators are implanted to prevent life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias, specifically ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation, which are often associated with sudden cardiac death. The device delivers an electric shock that helps restore a normal rhythm.
• Lead extraction is necessary if any part of your device becomes infected or if one of your heart valves becomes infected. Our cardiology and infectious disease specialists will help determine if it is the right treatment for you.

Catheter-based ablation is a minimally invasive our team procedure where advances a flexible thin tube, or catheter, through the blood vessels to your heart to stop abnormal electrical pathways in your heart tissue that cause your arrhythmias. They perform several other types of ablations including:

• Atrial fibrillation ablation uses radiofrequency (heating cells), cryo balloon (cooling cells) or laser balloon strategies achieve the best long-term results and control of atrial fibrillation burden.
• Ventricular tachycardia ablation uses heat (radiofrequency) energy to create tiny scars in your heart to prevent abnormal signals that cause a rapid, erratic heartbeat.

Left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) is a one-time procedure to seal the left atrial appendage. Our team offers this procedure to reduce the risk of blood clots that can lead to stroke and eliminate the need to take blood-thinning medication, if you have non-valvular atrial fibrillation.

Stellate ganglion block is a minor procedure used to treat hard-to-manage, or intractable, ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation.