The Lehigh Valley Heart and Vascular Institute now offers treatment for atrial fibrillation (AFib) with a new system that uses pulsed electrical fields instead of extreme heat or cold to specifically attack problem heart muscle cells.
The newly approved and highly anticipated FARAPULSE™ technology offers an alternative approach to correcting the world’s most common arrhythmia, or irregular heartbeat, while avoiding potential cellular damage in areas surrounding the heart, such as the esophagus.
If left untreated, atrial fibrillation can lead to strokes and other serious conditions. In atrial fibrillation, the normal heartbeat in the upper chambers of the heart is irregular and blood does not flow as well as it should to the lower chambers of the heart.
According to FARAPULSE manufacturer Boston Scientific, the system uses selective pulsed electric fields to ablate or destroy specific areas of heart tissue that cause abnormal heart rhythms. Standard ablation involves treating these tissues with intense heat or cold in a procedure called thermal ablation. FARAPULSE has been shown to be safe and effective in clinical trials compared to thermal ablation. It also shortens treatment time, which is beneficial for patients.
“This is a significant development in the treatment of atrial fibrillation,” says Dr. Babak Bozorgnia, Division Chief of Cardiac Electrophysiology at the Heart and Vascular Institute. “As we continue to utilize the latest advances here at the Heart and Vascular Institute, we will continue to provide our community with the world-class care it expects. Our patients will continue to receive the absolute best care in their area.”
The Heart and Vascular Institute’s nine highly trained electrophysiologists across the region are expected to perform over 1,000 cardiac ablations this fiscal year, including thermal and the new FARAPULSE ablation.
Farapulse is available at Lehigh Valley Hospital–Cedar Crest and Lehigh Valley Hospital–Muhlenberg. Lehigh Valley Hospital–Pocono is expected to offer this treatment later this year.
AFib Competence Center
FARAPULSE is another world-class offering from the Heart and Vascular Institute’s AFib Center of Excellence, the only center of its kind in the region.
The AFib Center of Excellence has been providing early access to industry-leading AFib evaluation and treatment options since February 2022. The program offers same-day appointments at multiple locations across the region for patients with newly diagnosed or uncontrolled AFib. Specialized treatment plans and dedicated care navigation ensure the patient remains connected throughout the AFib treatment journey.
“By treating AFib earlier in the course of treatment, patients have a better chance of stopping the progression of AFib before it becomes a long-term problem,” says Dr. Bozorgnia. “With its rapid referral pathways, the AFib Center of Excellence removes the barriers that have previously stood in the way of patients with this treatable disease.”
Learn more about AFib at LVHN.org/afib.
This article is sponsored content paid for by Lehigh Valley Health Network.
