Medical Services > Heart, Lung, and Vascular

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is an irregular heart rhythm that significantly increases the risk of fatalities associated with heart disease, as well as the risk of experiencing a stroke. According to the National Institutes of Health, the occurrence of AF increases with age, affecting one of every 200 people younger than 60 and nearly nine out of 100 people over 80.

Tests and Exams

UT Southwestern Medical Center’s cardiologists can accurately diagnose a patient’s irregular heart rhythm and prescribe the medication or procedures needed to reduce or completely eliminate the condition. Our team of cardiologists includes heart rhythm management specialists, who have extensive experience diagnosing and treating arrhythmias.

Treatment

If rhythm-control or rate-control medications fail to significantly reduce the incidence of arrhythmias or if medication cannot be tolerated, patients may be candidates for one or more effective heart rhythm management therapies or surgical procedures, including receiving a pacemaker.

UT Southwestern’s cardiovascular specialists are respected by their peers as experts in the use of heart rhythm management procedures, including:

• Cardiac catheterization
• Catheter ablation
• Electrical cardioversion
• Electrophysiology
• Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD)
• Pacemaker implant

Patient Education

Please see the Interventional Cardiology section for additional information about these procedures, as well as the Health Library, which contains comprehensive material about heart rhythm management, including:

• Arrhythmia
• Atrial fibrillation
• Bradycardia
• Sinus rhythm
• Tachycardia
• Ventricular arrhythmia