Inherited Arrhythmia Clinic

Overview

Inherited arrhythmia disorders include several genetic conditions that place otherwise healthy individuals at risk for sudden cardiac death.

Due to the fact that inherited arrhythmias are passed down from parents to children, a family-centered approach to care is essential. The Inherited Arrhythmia Center is staffed by pediatric and adult cardiologists who specialize in diagnosing and treating abnormal heart rhythms. Genetic counselors are also involved in the patient’s care. This team model provides patients and their families with a comprehensive approach to their disorder.

What We Treat

Inherited arrhythmias are abnormal heart rhythms that are passed down from family members. They place you at risk for dangerous heart rhythms such as ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation and sudden cardiac death. The most common arrhythmias include:

• Long QT syndrome (LQTS)
• Brugada syndrome
• Catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT)
• Short QT syndrome (SQTS)

Patients may have symptoms of fainting or a history of treated cardiac arrest – or – no symptoms but a family history of these conditions.

The experienced electrophysiologists and genetic experts in the Inherited Arrhythmia Center specialize in treating patients with these conditions.

Doctors

Director: Peter Aziz, MD

Staff Members

Center for Pediatric & Adult Congenital Heart Disease

• Peter Aziz, MD– Pediatric Electrophysiology and Pacing, Director

Miller Family Heart, Vascular and Thoracic Institute

• Mina Chung, MD– Cardiovascular Medicine, Section of Electrophysiology and Pacing
• Niraj Varma, MD- Cardiovascular Medicine, Section of Electrophysiology and Pacing
• Mandeep Bhargava, MD – Cardiovascular Medicine, Section Electrophysiology and Pacing
• Pasquale Santangeli, MD, PhD - Cardiovascular Medicine, Section Electrophysiology and Pacing
• Siva Raja, MD, PhD - Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery

Cardiovascular Clinical Genetics

• Mina Chung, MD
• Wilson Tang, MD
• Diane Clements, CGC
• Christina Rigelsky, MS, CGC
• Paul Crawford, CGC
• Joseph Liu, CGC

Learn more about Cardiovascular Clinical Genetics.

Center for Pediatric Behavioral Health

• Katherine Corvi, PsyD
• Abby Demianczyk, PhD

Basic Science

• Mina Chung, MD
• David Van Wagoner, PhD

Cardio-Obstetrics Clinic

Learn more about Cardio-Obstetrics Clinic

Appointments

The Inherited Arrhythmia Center is located on the second floor of the R Building - Cleveland Clinic Children's Outpatient Center.

To make an appointment, please call toll free 800.223.2273 and ask for extension 56532 or call locally 216.445.6532.

Let the appointment office know if you are having acute symptoms. When you make your appointment, ask the appointment secretary for the name of your physician.

Physician Referrals - Call 216.445.6532 (or call the physician’s office directly).

Before Your Appointment

If your scheduled appointment is at least one week away, you will be asked to send in your records, including medical history, test results and films (such as echocardiogram, chest X-ray, MRI, CT, etc.) and a detailed family history if you have one. Some patients may have prior genetic testing and copies of the testing reports are helpful. All information should be sent in the same package.

Important Mailing Information

• Clearly mark the package with your name and address
• Send the package via Airborne Express, Federal Express, or certified U.S. mail (make sure you have a tracking number)
• Address the package to the physician you will be seeing
• Address the package as follows:
  

  Dr. Peter Aziz, Shari Hopkins
  Inherited Arrhythmia Center
  Cleveland Clinic
  9500 Euclid Avenue, M41
  Cleveland, OH 44195

If your scheduled appointment is less than one week away, please bring your records to your appointment.

Travel to Cleveland Clinic

If you are traveling to Cleveland Clinic from outside of the area, we can help make the trip as easy as possible.

• For information about travel to the Miller Family Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute.

What to Expect During Your Appointment

You will meet with a nurse who will collect information about you and your condition.

Depending on the specific type of inherited arrhythmia you have, you may need additional tests. These can include specialized blood tests, electrocardiogram (EKG), stress tests, ambulatory monitoring and/or imaging tests . You will then meet with your Center cardiologist. (S)he will review your records and take a medical history, perform a physical exam, and talk to you about other specialists within the Center that you may need to see. You will receive a diagnosis and plan of care.

Genetic testing may be indicated as part of your evaluation and you may be asked to meet with our genetic counselors.

Treatment plans include:

• Learning about your inherited arrhythmia
• Counseling on lifestyle considerations
• Medications
• Procedures such as catheter ablation or pacemaker/defibrillator implantation
• Surgery

How long will you need to stay at Cleveland Clinic?

The length of time needed to complete all the tests is different for each patient. However, if you are visiting Cleveland Clinic from outside the area, you should plan to stay in the Cleveland area for 1 to 2 days.

Follow Up

Regular follow up is necessary for patients with inherited arrhythmias. Your doctor at the Center will let you know how often you will need to come back for follow-up care and the other details of your treatment plan.

More Information

If you need more information, click here to contact us, chat online with a nurse or call the Miller Family Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute Resource & Information Nurse at 216.445.9288 or toll-free at 866.289.6911. We would be happy to help you.

• Learn more about Cleveland Clinic Children's Department of Cardiology and CT Surgery.