Cardiac Monitors
Several different types of cardiac monitors are helpful in diagnosing heart conditions, especially rhythm disorders such as atrial fibrillation.
Event monitors are portable monitors that record your heart's electrical activity and assess abnormal heart rhythms. They are helpful when symptoms are infrequent and need monitoring, up to 30 days. Monitors are attached to the chest using a sticky patch that allows you to continue your normal activities. The monitor is equipped with a transmitter that will enable you to signal when you are experiencing a symptom. Once you've signaled a symptom to our certified technicians, they will contact your doctor's office in (close-to) real-time to them correlate your symptom to the specific rhythm.
Holter monitors are portable monitors that record your heart's electrical activity and assess for any abnormal heart rhythms. Typically, they are worn for 24-48 hours but may be worn up to 14 days in some circumstances. The majority of Holter monitors attach to your chest by a sticky patch that holds a sensor. There is also a second option that uses a lead wire setup. We will instruct you to keep a diary of your activities and symptoms that you experience while wearing the monitor.
Loop recorders are implantable devices that continuously monitor your heart's electrical activity for up to five years. Loop recorder implantation is a minor procedure where a small device is implanted under your skin on the left side of your chest, overlying the heart. The loop recorder, approximately the size of a AAA battery, is designed to look for abnormal heart rhythms that may cause fainting, palpitations, fast or slow heartbeats, or an unexplained stroke. Loop recorders automatically record an abnormal heart and allow patients to activate a recording if they develop symptoms. Data is transmitted to your doctor's office via a home monitor or using a cell phone application.