Heart Rhythm Center | Baylor Scott & White Heart & Vascular Hospital

What is a Heart Rhythm Center and how does it benefit patients?

The Heart Rhythm Center at Baylor Scott & White Heart & Vascular Hospital – Dallas offers patients a collaborative, multidisciplinary focus to address heart arrhythmias. Our expert healthcare team consists of specially trained cardiologists, called electrophysiologists, cardiac surgeons and advanced practice providers passionate about treating patients with rhythm disturbances.

The center is dedicated to helping patients with arrhythmias effectively manage their condition through diagnosis, education, treatment options and post-discharge care. We realize each patient's case is unique, and therapy will be tailored according to each patient’s needs. Specialized medications, implanted devices, catheter-based procedures and surgical options are available and may be used in combination at Baylor Scott & White Heart and Vascular Hospital – Dallas.

A doctor explains what heart arrhythmias are and how we treat them here in Dallas

Heart rhythm conditions we treat in Dallas

Atrial fibrillation – paroxysmal, persistent and permanent
Atrial flutter
Atrial tachycardia (heart rate is too fast)
Bradycardia (heart rate is too slow)
Premature contractions
Ventricular fibrillation
Ventricular tachycardia (heart rate is too fast)
Other arrhythmias

Specialized interventions for heart rhythms

Physicians on the medical staff at the Heart Rhythm Center in Dallas are highly skilled and experienced in open and minimally invasive procedures.

Radiofrequency and cryothermal energy ablation
3D mapping for complex arrhythmia ablation
Left atrial appendage closure
Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) or biventricular pacing
Pacemaker implantation
Implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICD) implantation
Convergent hybrid ablation
Surgical MAZE
Laser lead extraction

Radiofrequency and cryothermal energy ablation

Many heart arrhythmias can be cured using radiofrequency ablation and cryoenergy ablation, which convert abnormal heart electrical tissue to scar tissue and corrects abnormal circuits.

3D mapping for complex arrhythmia ablation

A high-resolution system that maps heart function to help pinpoint where arrhythmias are occurring. Doctors also can use the system to map the heart after ablation procedures to evaluate whether treatment was successful.

Left atrial appendage closure

A catheter approach is available to implant the WATCHMAN™ device as well as a minimally invasive surgical approach to close the left atrial appendage.

Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) or biventricular pacing

Some advanced heart failure patients experience a delay in the heart's pumping function beyond what medications alone may treat. CRT sends small electrical impulses to the heart muscle to allow the ventricles to contract together, which may improve cardiac function.

Pacemaker implantation

Advanced technologies are available, including MRI scan compatibility, cellular network home monitoring with wireless communication and the Micra™, a catheter-delivered leadless pacemaker.

Implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICD) implantation

We offer MRI scan compatibility, cellular network home monitoring with wireless communication and subcutaneous ICD implantation.

Convergent hybrid ablation

The convergent procedure is used to treat patients with both early and longstanding persistent atrial fibrillation. The procedure is performed by a cardiac surgeon and electrophysiologist using radiofrequency to block irregular electrical signals by creating scar tissue on the heart.

Surgical MAZE

A procedure used to treat atrial fibrillation that disrupts electrical impulses that cause fast, irregular beats in the upper chambers of the heart

Laser lead extraction

A laser lead extraction removes one or more leads from inside the heart connected to the implantable device. A lead may be removed for any of these reasons:

Damage to the inside or outside of the lead
Large amounts of scar tissue forming at the tip of the lead
An infection at the site of the device and/or lead
Blockage of the vein by a clot or scar tissue

The lead is extracted through the subclavian vein. A laser light is attached to a sheath to serve as a guide to the lead, and once there, the light breaks up the scar tissue and the lead is removed.

Providing the full continuum of care

The Heart Rhythm Center can guide heart patients and their families to the correct healthcare provider for ongoing care of other medical conditions. The center may also be used to get second opinions for cardiac rhythm disturbances. Patients of the Heart Rhythm Center are followed up by a representative upon discharge from Baylor Scott & White Heart and Vascular – Dallas.

Are you a physician or primary care provider?

The Heart Rhythm Center's goal is to balance patient comfort with quality patient care in the most efficient manner possible. As part of the Dallas Heart Rhythm Center's focus on patient-centered care, referring physicians remain a vital part of the treatment team. Physicians on the medical staff and clinical team members stay in close and frequent communication with referring physicians about treatment plans. An advanced practice provider is available to review medical records and answer questions, and staff can help patients schedule tests and clinic appointments.

What our patients say

Her heart provides the canvas for her art

Florence displays artwork in her gallery, complete with images of the electrodes that once monitored her heart’s irregular beat.

Photo: David Woo - Dallas Morning News

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