Expanded Range of Heart Services at Southcoast

Charlton will offer complete diagnostic services and treatment under one roof

Called cardiac electrophysiology, the service is a highly technical subspecialty of cardiology that examines the electrical behavior of the heart and treats abnormal heart rhythms known as arrhythmias.

“The electrical system of the heart is like the spark plug in a combustion engine,” said Jeremy Ruskin, MD, Medical Director of the program. “The orderly pumping of the heart’s chambers is dependent on a regular electrical rhythm that tells the heart muscle when to contract. The study of the heart’s electrical system is distinctly different from standard cardiac catheterization procedures, which focus on the arteries, valves and pumping chambers of the heart.”

Dr. Ruskin is also the Director of the Cardiac Arrhythmia Service & Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology Laboratory at Massachusetts General Hospital. Southcoast has partnered with Mass. General to develop the program.

“There are a wide range of heart rhythm abnormalities that may affect anyone from very young children to adults of all ages,” Dr. Ruskin said. “Many arrhythmias are benign while others may result in anything from palpitations, dizziness and fainting to sudden death. Modern electrophysiological techniques allow us to diagnose these abnormalities with great precision and to determine appropriate treatment.”

During an electrophysiology study, multiple catheters are threaded through one or more veins in the leg and placed in various sites within the heart. A specially trained cardiologist, called an electrophysiologist, interprets the electrical signals to evaluate the patient’s symptoms and heart rhythm abnormality.

EPS at Charlton will increase convenience for patients and their families, who currently have to travel to hospitals outside of the area for these services.

“We refer patients to hospitals in Boston and Providence for EPS all the time,” said Laurie Mulgrew, RT (R), (CV), (M), Director of Cardiac Interventional Services at Charlton. “Now patients will be able to get this important test and any necessary treatment without having to leave the community. And they will get the same great care all of our cardiac patients get.”

Dr. Ruskin said the staff at Charlton is enthusiastic and well prepared for this new endeavor.

“Everyone from the medical and nursing staff to administration is very dedicated to this program’s success and is clearly capable of doing so,” he said. “The collaboration with Mass. General also will be a very helpful resource for training personnel and keeping the program on the leading edge of new therapies for cardiac arrhythmias.”

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