If your child has been diagnosed with an arrhythmia or is suspected of having a heart rhythm problem, they should be seen by a pediatric electrophysiologist, a cardiologist who specializes in diagnosing and treating heart rhythm abnormalities.
Our Division of Electrophysiology (EP) is one of the largest programs in the country. The specialists on our team identify and treat routine heart rhythm problems and complex cases that require a high level of expertise — in children of all ages. We also treat arrhythmias in adults with congenital heart disease (CHD).
Please contact us for a consultation or a second opinion.
What we do in electrophysiology
Electrophysiology (EP) is a specialty within cardiology that focuses on disorders of the heart’s electrical system. We specialize in diagnosing and treating the specific needs of children with arrhythmias and adults with CHD who also have heart rhythm problems.
We use noninvasive and invasive ways to identify and care for heart rhythm problems. We perform catheter-based procedures for all types of arrhythmias, and implant devices such as pacemakers, implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs), and implantable loop recorders (ILRs). We also provide routine outpatient management and consultation.
Ed Walsh, MD, Boston Children's Cardiac Electrophysiology Service
Our expertise in electrophysiology
Our electrophysiologists work closely within a multidisciplinary team to provide the best outcomes for our patients. We excel at integrating the arrhythmia care team with a patient’s overall healthcare needs.
Because we routinely detect and treat abnormal heart rhythms in infants and young children, our team can be attuned to your child’s individualized needs. We approach the treatment of children differently than adults: equipment that best suits their anatomies and unique conditions, specialized care from the hospital’s cardiac anesthesiology team, and an understanding of CHD and its implications for arrhythmia management.
While many other institutions perform arrhythmia procedures in general catheterization laboratories, we have two catheterization laboratories developed specifically for arrhythmia treatment, including the implantation of pacemakers, ICDs, and implantable loop recorders. Our equipment is operated by specially trained personnel — including experts from our device program — who understand how technology can effectively treat arrhythmias.
Our philosophy of care
Our team of physicians, nurses, and technologists specialize in pediatric heart rhythm disorders. Our approach focuses on directly meeting the unique needs of each patient and family. We value the provider-patient relationship and strive to provide continuity of care across our inpatient, outpatient, and procedural areas. No problem is too large, small, or complex for us to manage with the same commitment to excellence.
We continuously search for ways to improve our performance in all aspects of our work. This includes tracking procedural outcomes, disciplined coordination of inpatient and outpatient care, and our communication with patients, families, and referring physicians.
Our volume and scope
Since 2005, our group has performed thousands of EP procedures. From 2015 through 2021, our treatment volume includes:
