Anesthetic management of electrophysiological procedures for heart failure.

Recent advances in EP enabled significant improvement in the care for cardiac patient. Implantation of PMs or ICDs, CRT, and RFA of tachyarrhythmias represent EP procedures that significantly improve quality of life and outcome in selected patient populations. The complexity of the procedure and the off-site EP laboratory environment create a new, challenging scenario for the anesthesiologist. A complex medical history and a current physical status of a patient presenting for a procedure must be carefully weighed in when discussing the options of anesthesia care. The roles of individual anesthetics and anesthesia techniques need to be further evaluated to facilitate the procedure and optimize patient care.