Electrophysiologists know immediately that people who survive an episode of sudden cardiac arrest need an ICD. Other times it is not so certain and a diagnostic study is necessary.

Cardiac arrest is caused by an arrhythmia of the heart, which is a change from the normal rate or control of the heart’s contractions. These changes can be deadly as in cases of ventricular fibrillation. Multiple clinical trials have shown the superiority of ICD therapy in improving survival in patients who are at risk for sudden cardiac arrest. Because the ICD is permanently implanted and patients sometimes forget their medication, this allows the implant to have a greater success rate than the typical drug therapies.

Piedmont Facts:

• 4,927 Electrophysiological studies have been performed at Piedmont Hospital, since 1989
• In 2004, Piedmont Hospital performed 740 studies
• In 2004, Piedmont Hospital implanted 429 devices
• The implant takes about 1-2 hours to be completed and recovery time lasts about 2-4 hours

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About Piedmont Hospital

Founded in 1905 as a 10-bed sanatorium, Piedmont Hospital is celebrating a century of better care for the community. Today, Piedmont Hospital, a 500-bed acute tertiary care facility offering all major medical, surgical and diagnostic services, also is celebrating being named to the list of the nation’s 100 Top Hospitals in January 2005. Located on 26 acres in the North Atlanta community of Buckhead, Piedmont Hospital is a private, not-for-profit organization with 3,700 employees and a medical staff of more than 900 physicians. Piedmont Hospital is a member of Piedmont Healthcare – which includes the Piedmont Hospital Foundation, the philanthropic entity; Piedmont Fayette Hospital, a 100-bed community hospital in Fayetteville, Ga.; Piedmont Mountainside Hospital, a 35-bed community hospital in Jasper, Ga.; the Piedmont Physicians Group, a 74-member primary care physician group with 20 offices throughout metro Atlanta; and the Piedmont Clinic, a 469-member physician network. For more information, visit www.piedmonthospital.org.

About the Fuqua Heart Center of Atlanta at Piedmont Hospital

Since the mid-1960’s, Piedmont Hospital has continued to earn recognition as a leader in the prevention and treatment of heart disease. Piedmont was one of Georgia’s first hospitals to establish a dedicated coronary care unit, the first to hire a full-time director of a community CCU, and one of the first in the country to use telemetry monitors throughout the hospital. Piedmont has successfully developed cardiac catheterization, interventional cardiology, comprehensive electrophysiology and arrhythmia services, open-heart surgery, and peripheral vascular services. This expertise culminated in 1994 with the centralization of service at the Fuqua Heart Center of Atlanta at Piedmont Hospital. Made possible through the generous support of J. B. Fuqua, Atlanta businessman and philanthropist, the Heart Center employs a staff of 550 cardiovascular professionals to support the more than 100 cardiologists, cardiovascular and thoracic surgeons who have privileges at Piedmont Hospital. The Fuqua Heart Center was named a United Healthcare Cardiovascular Center of Excellence in 2004.