A study published in the latest issue of JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association, says the specialty of the surgeon influences the patient’s quality of life and success rate of the treatment where implanted defibrillators are concerned.  According to the study, the best results are achieved when the surgeon specializes in electrophysiology.

The study is based on the experiences of 110,000 patients implanted with defibrillators between January 2006 and June 2007.  Defibrillators emit a jolt of electricity to patients’ hearts when abnormal heart rhythms threaten their lives.  The study revealed fewer complications when an electrophysiologist implants the device.

An electrophysiologist is a cardiologist who’s gotten advanced training on abnormal rhythms of the heart.  Other doctors, specializing in cardiology and thoracic surgery, often implant these devices as well.