What is an EP study?

An electrophysiology (EP) study is a test performed to determine the precise origin or location of an arrhythmia in the heart. An EP study can be done just before catheter ablation or as a separate procedure. In many ways, the EP study and the catheter ablation procedure are similar since they both involve guiding catheters through veins to the heart. Of course, in an EP study this is done to diagnose the arrhythmia, while the ablation procedure is performed to treat the arrhythmia.