CHI St. Vincent is the first hospital in Central Arkansas to offer FARAPULSE™ Pulsed Field Ablation System for the treatment of atrial fibrillation (Afib).
“We are pleased to have performed the first cardiac ablation procedure in Central Arkansas using the FARAPULSE™ Pulsed Field Ablation System, a newly approved device for the treatment of atrial fibrillation in the U.S. and a technology that has been used safely and effectively across the globe,” said Marcia Atkinson, president of CHI St. Vincent Heart Institute. “The incidence of atrial fibrillation is on the rise, and such safe, effective and efficient therapies allow physicians to treat more patients, reduce complications, and benefit overall public health.”
The FARAPULSE PFA System is a unique new alternative to standard-of-care thermal ablation. A non-thermal approach for the treatment of drug-refractory, recurrent, symptomatic, paroxysmal (i.e., intermittent) atrial fibrillation (AF), it is proven to be an effective treatment option for patients while minimizing risks associated with thermal ablation.
"During a traditional ablation procedure, a catheter is guided to the interior of the heart, which uses extreme temperatures of hot or cold to destroy the targeted areas in the heart associated with abnormal heart rhythms,” said Dr. Tom Wallace, cardiac electrophysiologist at CHI St Vincent Heart Institute. “The Farapulse system, however, relies on a high-frequency electrical pulse, allowing us to be more precise during the procedure. This unique new therapy has proven to be as effective as the traditional method while minimizing risks for patients and shortening the procedure time significantly.”