Pulsed-Field Ablation for AFib
Pulsed-field ablation at Cone Health makes addressing atrial fibrillation (AFib) easier and more successful than ever before. Since 20% of Americans will experience AFib in their lifetime, this new technology will impact many lives for the better.
The pulsed-field ablation technology:
- Comes with fewer potential complications than traditional ablation.
- Showed nearly an 85% success rate in clinical trials in addressing AFib – almost twice that of medication options.
Game-Changing Ablation Technology
Pulsed-field ablation was first rolled out in Europe, and then started to expand into the U.S. in 2024. Now available at Cone Health, this new approach has completely changed how Cone Health cardiologists perform an AFib ablation.
Past ablation technology either froze part of the heart with a cold balloon or cauterized using heat, which raised the risk of damaging nearby organs, nerves and more. Pulsed-field ablation is able to solely target heart tissue – reducing complication and improving results.
Procedure Details
The entire pulsed-field ablation procedure is performed through a catheter inserted into the leg vein. This minimally invasive technique makes recovery quick. Patients typically are up and walking a few hours after the procedure and back to full activity levels within a week. Post-procedure pain is also minimal.
Four-dimensional (4D) intracardiac echocardiography can be used to help guide this catheter-based technique. This 4D imagery offers high-quality images to help cardiologists complete the procedure with confidence.
Is Pulsed-Field Ablation Right for You?
The care model for atrial fibrillation management has changed in recent years. In the past, only patients with significant symptoms were treated with ablation. Now, because the ablation procedure has become so much more effective and safer, any patient with atrial fibrillation should be considered a possible candidate for ablation.
If you have atrial fibrillation, your provider can refer you to a Cone Health cardiologist to see if pulsed-field ablation might be the approach not only to reduce your symptoms, but also to reduce your risk of hospitalization, heart failure, and stroke from AFib.
