Q: What is cardiac electrophysiology?

A: Cardiac electrophysiology, is the heart specialism that cares for patients with heart rhythm disorders, palpitations, blackouts and patients potentially at high risk of dying suddenly due to cardiac arrest. -- Consultant Cardiologist / Cardiac Electrophysician, Dr Oliver Segal

I spend most of my time performing a technique called catheter ablation to cure arrhythmias, implanting pacemakers and defibrillators and also umbrella-like devices within the heart to prevent strokes. Interpreting the complex electrical signals recorded within the heart is one of the most challenging skills in clinical medicine and is the zenith of medical problem solving in my opinion.

 

Physicians are the doctors who diagnose the patient's conditions by listening to details of their symptoms and performing tests to diagnose the cause. What has changed nowadays is that physicians (which include cardiologists) also perform many or most treatments too (especially so in cardiology) and some surgeons are learning keyhole techniques from cardiologists, so the distinction between cardiologists and surgeons is more blurred than ever before.