Most people have the procedure without any problems. What are the risks for loop recorder implantation? In both cases, the recorder can determine whether an abnormal rhythm is the problem. Healthcare providers sometimes use it in people believed to have epilepsy who have not responded to medicine. You also might need a loop recorder if you are an older adult with unexplained falls. Because the loop recorder records for up to 3 years, your healthcare provider should eventually be able to analyze your heart rhythms during a fainting episode. You are also more likely to need loop recorder implantation if you are fainting frequently, but not enough for other kinds of heart rhythm monitoring to detect your fainting. It is also more common in people with other heart problems. Your healthcare provider is more likely to recommend it if your heart is a likely cause of your fainting. Loop recorder implantation is often helpful if other tests haven’t found the cause. He or she might have tried other sorts of tests, like Holter monitoring, tilt-table testing, or electrophysiologic studies of your heart. So, your healthcare provider may not be able to analyze the specific rhythm problem that causes your fainting. This records your heart rhythm only for a few seconds, however. Your healthcare provider will probably start with basic tests like an electrocardiogram (ECG). Only certain kinds of fainting are due to abnormal heart rhythms. If you have a problem with fainting, your healthcare provider will look at various causes. These abnormal heartbeats can cause palpitations, or even lead to strokes. You might also need a loop recorder if your healthcare provider wants to look for very fast or slow heartbeats. Once you are diagnosed, you may need a pacemaker or an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICDs). These fainting episodes require diagnosis and treatment as soon as possible. Also, certain kinds of fainting greatly increase your chance for sudden death. Repeated fainting can have a negative effect on your physical and emotional health. You might need a loop recorder if you have fainting episodes or palpitations, and other tests have not yet given you any answers. Why might I need a loop recorder implanted? Then a healthcare provider can look at the recordings to figure out the cause. If you fainted due to an arrhythmia, the machine records this information before, during, and after the fainting. It can also be patient activated to store recordings as well. It is continuously looping its memory and has automatic triggers to store recordings. However, an implantable loop recorder can record heart rhythm for up to 3 years. An implantable loop recorder continuously records information about your electrical activity, similar to an ECG. It’s important to find out what kind of problem you may have, if any. When the rhythm returns to normal, you normally regain consciousness.Įach heart rhythm problem may need its own treatment. The temporarily reduced blood to your brain is what causes you to faint. An abnormal heart rhythm (arrhythmia) may make your heart unable to pump as much blood as needed. These might cause a number of problems, such as fainting and palpitations. This helps your heart pump blood in a coordinated way.Īny disruptions to this signaling pathway may result in heart rhythm problems. As it travels, the signal triggers nearby parts of your heart to contract. These are the 2 lower chambers of your heart. The signal quickly travels down your heart’s conducting system to the ventricles. This node is in the right atrium, the upper right chamber of your heart. These cells are in the sinoatrial (SA) node.

Normally, a special group of cells begin the electrical signal to start your heartbeat. This can help find abnormal heart rhythms that can cause a number of problems such as fainting. The machine works as an electrocardiogram (ECG), continuously picking up electrical signal from your heart. He or she places the small device under your skin, on your chest wall, overlying the heart. During a loop recorder implantation, your heart healthcare provider (cardiologist) does a minor procedure. The most common ones include looking for causes of fainting, palpitations, very fast or slow heartbeats, and hidden rhythms that can cause strokes. An implantable loop recorder, or ILR, is a heart recording device that is implanted in the body underneath the chest skin.

Heart monitor lead placement