The rock stars at University Hospitals Geauga Medical Center have set the stage for an electric performance by your heart

By Ken McEntee

Your heart, like your home, depends on sound plumbing and electrical systems to stay in working order, says Antonio Sotolongo, MD, a cardiac electrophysiologist at University Hospitals Geauga Medical Center.

Blocked arteries—your heart’s plumbing—can result in chest pain or a heart attack.

Meanwhile, electrical irregularities can cause abnormal heart rhythms, resulting in very fast or very slow beating, Dr. Sotolongo explains.

Fortunately, Dr. Sotolongo and his skilled team at UH Geauga Medical Center are able to safely perform many corrective electrophysiological procedures comfortably close to home.

Electrophysiology—the study of the heart’s electrical activity—is a relatively new field in cardiology, and the UH Electrophysiology Center, a part of University Hospitals Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute (HHVI), is one of the first specialized centers of its kind in the country, Dr. Sotolongo says.

“UH and Case Western Reserve University also established one of the first cardiac electrophysiology fellowship programs, so we have a longstanding tradition of teaching and practicing electrophysiology,” he says.

The Electrophysiology Center offers the latest medical and technological advancements, such as:

• 3-D mapping systems that use advanced technology to track the exact location and movement of catheters for the evaluation of a heart’s electrical activity
• Cardiac computed tomography (CT) scans that produce detailed pictures of a beating heart
• Intracardiac echocardiography (ICE), which provides advanced monitoring and real-time three-dimensional imaging to prepare and guide interventional procedures
• Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which produces detailed pictures of a heart’s anatomy or structure to evaluate issues and function
• Stereotactic magnetic navigation, which is used for the accurate diagnosis and treatment of heart arrhythmia and to guide catheters into the hard-to-reach areas of the heart

“One of the most interesting things about electrophysiology is the variety of patients we see, from very healthy to very sick,” Dr. Sotolongo says. “We see everything from young patients with supraventricular tachycardia (an abnormally fast heart rhythm) to older or sicker patients with heart failure who need cardioverter defibrillators with or without cardiac resynchronization therapy. We also see patients with bradycardia (an abnormally slow heartbeat) who need a pacemaker. We also specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of atrial fibrillation, a leading cause of stroke worldwide.”

Cardiac arrhythmias may sometimes be related to chronic conditions like diabetes, obesity, hypertension or sleep apnea, or they can be the result of previous heart issues such as prior heart attacks or heart failure. Sometimes, however, the cause is undetermined.

“Some rhythms are not associated with anything particularly wrong with the heart and can happen to somebody with a completely normal heart,” he says. “It’s just a premature beat coming in at the wrong time and causing these short circuits.”

Sometimes, Dr. Sotolongo cautions, people may experience arrhythmia without having symptoms. Others may experience modest to life-threatening symptoms that can include low energy, heart palpitations or shortness of breath during exercise or exertion, he says.

When you have symptoms, Dr. Sotolongo suggests that you contact your physician or a cardiologist to schedule an examination.

“Typically, a patient will get an electrocardiogram or some form of monitoring to diagnose the condition,” he says. “If an arrhythmia is found, the patient will be referred to an electrophysiologist. We also get referrals from patients who go to the emergency room.”

Unlike some health conditions that can only be treated or managed, Dr. Sotolongo says some arrhythmias can actually be cured.

“It’s very rewarding to actually be able to fix a problem,” he says.

Pacemakers, which regulate the electrical pulses in the heart, are commonly implanted to correct abnormally slow heartbeats. Other arrhythmic conditions are treated with medications or cardiac ablations, which use a catheter, fed through a vein or artery, to treat heart tissue that is causing the abnormal heart rhythm.

“These procedures are safe, with a very low complication rate, and have a very high probability of correcting the problem,” Dr. Sotolongo assures. “Depending on the procedure, patients typically go home the same day, or may stay in the hospital overnight.”

With the exception of ablations, most procedures can be done right at UH Geauga Medical Center.

“A lot of patients like to be as close to home as possible,” Dr. Sotolongo says. “Some of these procedures need to be done in a time sensitive manner, so having the ability to fix the problem right here, very quickly after diagnosis, is a big advantage. And the team here at UH Geauga Medical Center is wonderful. We’ve had a lot of experience performing cardiac implantable procedures.”

Having the support of HHVI, a nationally recognized leader in heart and vascular care, is another benefit offered at UH Geauga Medical Center. HHVI includes more than 1,700 experts across 26 locations.

You can schedule an appointment with a cardiologist or learn more about the Electrophysiology Center at UH Geauga by calling 440-901-6104, or by visiting UHHospitals.org/for-clinicians/specialties/heart-and-vascular/centers-and-programs/electrophysiology-center. UH Geauga Medical Center is located at 13207 Ravenna Road, in Chardon.