For a scary five minutes, Danielle felt dizzy and sweaty as her heart rate raced above 200 beats a minute on her smartwatch. “It felt like someone was sitting on my chest,” she said.

I just thought I was out of shape, she adds. But when her symptoms, including shortness of breath, continued she turned to Memorial Cardiac and Vascular Institute.

Using data from her watch and additional tests, John Cogan, MD, medical director, Adult Cardiac Electrophysiology, diagnosed Danielle’s arrhythmia as supraventricular tachycardia and performed a cardiac ablation to repair it.

“It’s an electrical short circuit of the heart.” Dr. Cogan said. “The heart gets stuck in a loop going superfast. We find it, burn it and get rid of it.”

“It was a great experience from start to finish,” Danielle said. “Now, I know I’ll be here to take care of my son.”

Memorial Cardiac and Vascular Institute electrophysiologists are among the most experienced experts in the region, safely treating hundreds of heart rhythm conditions each year.