Need help with abbreviations please.

[MoyB]

Good morning.

I keep reading that people are seen by their 'EP' and haven't managed yet to work out what it stands for.

Xx Moy

[baba]

EP - Electrophysiologist, a cardiologist specialising in heart rhythms.

healthunlocked.com/afassoci...

[MoyB in reply to baba]

Well I have never heard that term before! No wonder I couldn't work it out. 🤣

Is this term commonly used in the UK or is it something our US friends are more familiar with?

Thanks for helping me out. I've been puzzling over it for ages. Xx Moy

[BobD Volunteer in reply to MoyB]

It is a UK and world wide term Moy. If you find the pinned posts (right hand side top on a computer ) and scroll through there is a useful list of abbreviations.

[MoyB]

Thanks. I am surprised that I have not heard it used until joining this forum. I have seen the list of abbreviations now and it is really helpful.

I belong to the BLF forum as well and we have quite a few members from US and Canada and I have had to become familiar with some of their terms and abbreviations which was why I thought this one may have been from there too.

All the best, Xx Moy

[Ppiman]

In the UK, we are much more likely call a heart doctor a cardiologist; but one that carries out catheter heart ablations is also called an "EP" or electrophysiologist. All cardiologists are very experienced in the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias, of course, but only an EP will carry out an ablation. It's because these are such delicate procedures, with the catheter burning (or freezing) areas that are close to delicate parts of the pulmonary veins, that specialised training and experience are required.

Steve

[MoyB in reply to Ppiman]

Thank you Steve. When I had my phone appointment with the person who will do my ablation he said, 'I know you are a patient of Dr M, but I am the person who has the greater expertise in the electrical side of things (as opposed to the plumbing!) and so I will be carrying out the ablation procedure.' I have never had a letter from him, but perhaps if I had he would sign himself off as 'electrophysiologist' or 'EP'. It's good to know what these things mean.xx Moy

[Ppiman in reply to MoyB]

You’ll be in safe hands! It’s a worthwhile procedure but sometimes one that needs a future repeat procedure for longer term success. Also, AF will, at some point, likely eventually return and become permanent feature as it’s a progressive thing associated with age.

I suppose an EP might call himself that, but he’s still a cardiologist, primarily. I’m not a fan of calling a cardiologist a “plumber” and an EP an “electrician”, since both are highly trained in treating arrhythmias, but I see what people mean.

It’s also the case that arrhythmias are, essentially, still a “plumbing” problem, in the sense that some (often unknown) change has occurred in the cells that lead them to fire off wrongly.

Best wishes with your ablation!

Steve

[MoyB in reply to Ppiman]

Thank you! Years ago when I was having an angiogram it was explained to me by the cardiologist that 'nothing was wrong with the plumbing' but 'the electrics were a bit wonky'. I guess he thinks this terminology helps us lay people to understand what they are dealing with better than using medical jargon. At our hospital, it seems to me that they have divided the workload, so to speak, and as long as I get the right treatment from someone, I don't mind if they come with a monkey wrench or a battery tester. Lol! I totally respect their training and expertise in all things cardio related, though, and won't be asking them to do any little jobs at home for me. 🤣👍xx Moy

[Ppiman in reply to MoyB]

I did enjoy reading that.

[MoyB in reply to Ppiman]

👍🤣xx Moy

[Ozette in reply to MoyB]

reading this made me smile as I think the plumber is a Urologist. Ha ha!

[MoyB in reply to Ozette]

🤣🤣🤣Xx Moy

[momist]

Nice to hear that the medical people also refer to themselves as 'plumbers' and 'electricians'. It's been a long standing facetious remark here in the UK that many cardiologists are only interested in the plumbing, and if you have AF you need to see the Electrophysiologist about the electrical side. Of course, such scurrilous generalities are incorrect, and many cardiologists have experience and understanding of heart arrhythmias, but I've never yet met one of those . . .

(Apologies to Dr Sanjay Gupta of York Cardiology, who I've never met).

[MoyB in reply to momist]

It sounds to me as though the two people with an interest in my heart (not in the romantic way!) work together pretty well, so I think I'll be ok. Just need a date for the procedure and I'll be a happy lady. xx Moy

[Snowgirl65]

That refers to "electrophysiologist," a cardiologist dealing with the heart's electricals, so to speak.

[MoyB in reply to Snowgirl65]

Thank you! It's good to know these things. xx Moy

[djmnet]

It is commonly said that the cardiologist acts as the plumber while the electrophysiologist handles the electrical issues of the heart.

[MoyB in reply to djmnet]

I think it's a good way to look at it. It makes it easy for us lay people to understand. xx Moy