Genetic Heart Rhythm Diseases
Welcome to the Genetic Heart Rhythm Diseases page. The Mayo Clinic Windland Smith Rice Genetic Heart Rhythm Clinic, with the Windland Smith Rice Sudden Death Genomics Laboratory in Rochester, MN, is dedicated to diagnosing, treating, and researching all types of genetic heart rhythm diseases that can cause sudden death.
Follow the Genetic Heart Rhythm Diseases page and stay up-to-date as we post stories, clinical trials, and useful information regarding your genetic heart rhythm condition.
Cardiac Channelopathies and ICDs
In this 35 minute lecture, Dr. Michael J. Ackerman, genetic cardiologist and director of the Genetic Heart Rhythm Clinic at Mayo Clinic's Rochester campus stresses the significant need in the community of heart rhythm specialists to increase the competency of health care providers taking care of patients with sudden death predisposing genetic heart rhythm disorders. Currently implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) are being recommended to and implanted in far, far too many patients.
The message is clear: Most patients with a cardiac channelopathy do not need and should not receive an ICD.
This lecture is designed to explain the reasoning behind this message, to increase the confidence in the protective affect on non-defibrillator treatment strategies and to hopefully bring about change in the heart rhythm specialist community's view on ICD treatments.
Check out the Heart Rhythm Conditions group to find others who have opted for or against ICDs and hear their reasons behind their decision.