Tufts Medicine announced today that MelroseWakefield Hospital successfully performed a pulsed field ablation (PFA) procedure for atrial fibrillation (AFib). MelroseWakefield Hospital is the first community hospital in its service area to perform this procedure.
Two AFib ablation procedures were performed by Dr. Guy Rozen, Director of the Tufts Medical Center Electrophysiology Laboratories and the Tufts Medical Center Atrial Fibrillation Program, together with the MelroseWakefield team of nurses, lab technologist and anesthesiologists. The team utilized the novel PFA technology with the latest three-dimensional mapping and intracardiac echocardiography systems recently installed in the cardiac catheterization lab at MelroseWakefield Hospital.
Atrial fibrillation (AFib) is the most common type of heart rhythm disturbance, affecting millions in the U.S. and globally. It is characterized by rapid and irregular electrical activity in the heart's upper chambers (atria), leading to a fast, irregular heartbeat. AFib can cause serious complications, including stroke, heart failure and a reduced quality of life.
Heat (radiofrequency) or freezing (cryo) are traditionally used in AFib ablation methods to treat the heart tissue causing AFib. While these methods are generally safe, they can occasionally damage nearby structures like the esophagus or phrenic nerve, leading to breathing issues. The new pulsed field ablation therapy, approved by the FDA last year, uses short bursts of high energy to target only the heart tissue responsible for AFib, significantly enhancing the safety of the procedure.
The advanced three-dimensional electroanatomic mapping system and intracardiac echocardiography catheters, which provide real-time images from inside the heart, guided the ablation process. This technology allowed the team to perform the procedure safely and effectively, without the need for fluoroscopy, a medical imaging technique using x rays to show internal organs, eliminating radiation exposure.
According to Dr. Rozen, the ability to perform this type of atrial fibrillation ablation is a "game-changer" for MelroseWakefield Hospital. "MelroseWakefield is the first community hospital in our service area, and one of only a handful nationwide, able to provide this procedure. We take tremendous pride in offering this level of technology and expertise," he said. "Our goal is to provide the most advanced, safest and most affective care patients here need, close to their home."
The introduction of AFib ablation procedure is the latest in a series of important milestones for the MelroseWakefield Hospital Cardiovascular Center, having implanted a Leadless Cardiac Pacemaker last March and treated a patient with coronary artery disease using a drug-coated balloon last September. MelroseWakefield Hospital is nationally recognized for its cardiac and heart care, having been acknowledged by U.S. News and World Report as High Performing in Heart Failure. The hospital is also one of only a handful of community hospitals across Massachusetts to be licensed to operate a cardiac catheterization lab, where life-saving treatments and procedures are performed routinely.
