A promising, next-gen procedure for patients with difficult-to-treat Atrial Fibrillation (AFib) is now available in Westchester for the first time.
When it comes to treating complex heart diseases, White Plains Hospital has its finger on the pulse—literally. Pulsed-field ablation (PFA), which uses electric fields to ablate damaged heart tissue, is the latest advancement in treating the common but potentially dangerous condition known as atrial fibrillation (AFib). And White Plains Hospital is the first and only hospital within Westchester County to offer this sophisticated procedure.
What is atrial fibrillation (AFib)?
AFib occurs when the top two chambers of the heart, the atria, beat too quickly and with an irregular rhythm (fibrillation), which can decrease the heart’s pumping efficiency and form clots in the heart. People with AFib have a higher risk of stroke, heart failure, and other heart-related complications than those with normal heart rhythms. By 2030, the American Heart Association estimates that more than 12 million Americans will have the condition.
How does AFib impact someone’s health?
“It can negatively affect people’s quality of life and is highly unpredictable,” explains Dr. Daniel Wang, White Plains Hospital’s Director of Cardiac Electrophysiology. “Some people have no symptoms at all while others have marked symptoms that may be dramatically different, from heart palpitations to shortness of breath, even chest pain or fainting.” Further, he notes that as patients age, their likelihood of developing AFib increases.
What are treatment options for AFib and what are the specific benefits of pulsed-field ablation (PFA)?
Treatment options are unique to each patient and include oral medications, pacemakers or catheter ablation, a minimally invasive procedure that, using cold energy (cryoablation) or heat (radiofrequency ablation), creates small scars on the area of the heart that is causing the abnormal rhythm. Performed at the Hospital’s new Kleinman Atrial Fibrillation Center, these traditional ablation procedures have proven safe and effective for patients for more than three decades.
Now the new PFA approach is generating buzz for going beyond traditional treatments. The procedure, which Dr. Wang and his team recently introduced at White Plains Hospital, incorporates a cardiac ablation system, the FARAPULSE PFA System, which releases tissue-selective, non-thermal electric fields to ablate heart tissue rather than extreme temperatures.
“Because of the nature of how, and how quickly, the energy is delivered using electric fields, early data shows that PFA can shorten the speed of the ablation procedure,” Dr. Wang says. “For the appropriate patient, PFA can support faster recovery times and enhanced patient outcomes.”
This exciting new addition to the Hospital’s capabilities builds on the success of the Hospital’s comprehensive cardiac services program, which has brought advanced cardiac care (including cardiac surgery, minimally invasive heart valve replacement (TAVR) procedures, and lifesaving interventional procedures) even closer to home for patients through its partnership with the Montefiore Health System. The addition of PFA “represents our position at the forefront of cardiac care in the county and beyond,” Dr. Wang shares. “We are pleased to advance our already state-of-the art approaches and robust treatment options for some of the more complex cardiac conditions in our patients.”
Read about White Plains Hospital’s comprehensive cardiac services or call 914-WP-Heart (914.974.3278).