St. Mark's Hospital first in Utah to use new A-Fib treatment
Due to its safety and efficacy, the pulsed field ablation procedure promises to become the new gold standard for treating AFib.
Millcreek/Salt Lake City, Utah — St. Mark’s Hospital, a 325-bed facility and the centerpiece of MountainStar Healthcare, is the first hospital in the state to use a new pulsed field ablation technology. A pulsed field ablation, or PFA, is a minimally-invasive intervention for treating patients suffering from atrial fibrillation, or A-Fib. The first Utah procedure was performed this week at St. Mark’s Hospital by Dr. John Day, a cardiologist at the Heart Center at St. Mark’s and the physician executive of Cardiovascular Services for MountainStar Healthcare.
St. Mark’s Hospital is proud to be a leader in Utah for cutting-edge cardiovascular care as this new intervention is expected to be widely available soon in the U.S.
In treating A-Fib, pulsed-field ablation utilizes a controlled electric field to selectively ablate cardiac tissue that is causing irregular heartbeats. This new treatment method has been shown to minimize the risk of damage to surrounding tissues. This is because pulsed field ablation disables cardiac cells using electricity rather than extreme temperatures used in the traditional approaches. Further, the technology allows ablation procedures to be performed in less time.
“Pulsed field ablation represents the future of atrial fibrillation ablation procedures. The significantly shorter procedure times and notable safety benefits represent a substantial improvement over traditional methods,” said Dr. Day.
A-Fib, the most common type of heart rhythm disorder, causes a variety of symptoms, including fast or chaotic heartbeat, fatigue, shortness of breath and chest pain, and increases a person's risk of stroke. Ablation is one of several procedural and medical interventions used to control A-Fib symptoms and reduce stroke risk.