The treatment that follows an electrophysiological examination depends on the type of arrhythmia you have, the severity of your symptoms, and the results of various tests, including electrophysiological findings. Your doctor will decide if your arrhythmia needs treatment and, if so, which treatment is best. Medications Anti-arrhythmic drugs work by changing electrical signals within the heart. They can stop a fast or irregular heart rhythm that originates in an abnormal part of the heart. If medications are applied to treat an arrhythmia, it is important to make sure that they work effectively. Therefore, you may need to undergo an electrophysiological follow-up examination after 2 or more days of taking the medication, with the aim of selecting the most effective medication for the arrhythmia you are suffering from. Artificial pacemaker An artificial pacemaker is a device that can be implanted in the body to pace the heart to treat slow arrhythmias. The pacemaker is often implanted under the skin beneath the collarbone, where it senses the body’s heart rhythm and responds accordingly. If it senses that the heart is beating too slowly or has been paused for a long period of time, it delivers a weak electrical signal that stimulates the heart to contract and pump blood. Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) An implantable cardioverter-defibrillator is a device that can be implanted in the body to deliver electrical stimulation to the heart, and is most commonly used to treat life-threatening tachyarrhythmias. Cardioverter-defibrillators are larger than artificial pacemakers and are usually buried under the skin in the abdomen or chest. The device continuously monitors the heart’s rhythm, and if it senses an abnormally fast rhythm, it releases one or more electrical shock signals to stimulate the heart and restore it to a normal rhythm. Catheter ablation Catheter ablation, as we described earlier, is a non-surgical treatment that destroys the abnormal bypass of the heart that triggers the arrhythmia. It is often used to treat tachyarrhythmias.