Miami Children's Hospital Congenital Heart Institute continues to be on the leading edge of diagnosis and management of pediatric cardiovascular problems. Our Pediatric Electrophysiology unit offers our young patients an electrophysiology study, also called an EPS. This special type of heart catheterization is done to study the heart's electrical system and is performed when there is concern about a problem with the heartbeat or rhythm. To treat this form of arrhythmia, electrodes are used to pinpoint the tissue that is sending the heart faulty signals. To correct the problem, a procedure called radiofrequency ablation is performed to disrupt part or all of an abnormal electrical pathway that is causing the tachycardia.
Miami Children's Hospital Performs Breakthrough Cardiac Procedure
Patient goes home the next day!
Thanks to the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory at Miami Children's Hospital and a unique procedure that combined two of its sub-specialties, Sedena Pearce, a 20-year-old student in Ft. Myers, returned to classes the day after being operated on to repair two common heart defects that had been affecting her since birth.
Sedena's heart problems were the result of Atrial Septal Defect (a hole between the top two chambers of the heart) and tachycardia (a condition where her heartbeat would erratically increase from 70 to over 200 beats per minute). On Thursday, November 2nd, 2000, in a three-hour interventional cardiology procedure, under one anesthetic, without open-heart surgery, Sedena's heart was repaired. To treat the tachycardia, Dr. Steven Fishberger performed an electrical physiology study (EPS) by inserting catheters with electrodes to pinpoint the tissue that was sending her heart faulty signals. Once the tissue was located, Dr. Fishberger successfully performed a radio frequency ablation to destroy the tissue causing the abnormal impulses. Once the tachycardia condition was corrected Dr. Evan Zahn, Director of the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory, inserted a new device he helped to create called the Helex Septal Occluder to close the hole in the heart. The patient went home the next day!
Additional Cardiology & Cardiovascular Surgery Resources
Adult Congenital Heart Clinics
Advanced Pediatric Cardiovascular Techniques
Cardiac Intensive Care Unit
Cardiac Prenatal Program
Congenital Heart Institute Patient Letters
Congenital Heart Institute Success Stories
Catheterization Lab
CHI at Arnold Palmer Hospital
Pediatric Electrophysiology
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