Northside Hospital has treated its first patient using a new technology, recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration for treating paroxysmal or persistent atrial fibrillation (A-fib).
The Medtronic PulseSelect™ Pulsed Field Ablation (PFA) System uses pulsed electric fields to efficiently and safely treat A-fib, a progressive heart condition that affects more than 59 million people worldwide.
Dr. Alok Gambhir, a cardiac electrophysiologist with Northside Hospital Heart Institute, successfully performed the procedure using this technology on Sept. 9 at Northside Hospital Atlanta.
Atrial fibrillation can worsen over time without early intervention, increasing the risk of cardiovascular admissions, heart failure and mortality, and decreasing quality of life. The PulseSelect PFA system delivers pulsed electric fields through a catheter designed to disrupt abnormal electrical pathways in the heart that trigger A-fib. Unlike traditional ablation technologies that rely on heat and risk damaging surrounding tissues, the system’s non-thermal mechanism reduces the potential for collateral damage.
"Pulse field ablation is revolutionizing how we perform catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation," said Dr. Gambhir.
"Ablation with pulse fields is more tissue-specific and minimizes the risk of damage to surrounding structures. Northside is proud to be the first in Georgia to offer the Boston Scientific Farapulse PFA system, and now, the Medtronic PulseSelect PFA system, allowing us to choose the best option for our patients. Many of these procedures can be performed without the need for full general anesthesia."
Learn more about heart care at Northside Hospital Heart Institute.
