Submitted by Our Lady of the Lourdes Regional Medical Center
LAFAYETTE, LA (December 16, 2024) – Our Lady of Lourdes Heart Hospital recently became the first hospital in Acadiana to use the Medtronic PulseSelect™ Pulsed Field Ablation System, exciting news for area patients with atrial fibrillation (AFib).
Pulsed field ablation is a breakthrough technology that uses pulsed electric fields to treat patients with intermittent or persistent AFib. Recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the PulseSelect PFA system reduces a traditional ablation procedure by 25 minutes while effectively, efficiently and safely treating atrial fibrillation.
“Our Lady of Lourdes is honored to deliver another innovation in Acadiana heart care,” said Julian Briggs, Our Lady of Lourdes vice president of cardiac services. “Together with amazing providers and industry leaders like Medtronic, we are introducing new services that improve outcomes for cardiovascular patients, allowing them to get back to work, play and family faster and with better long-term outcomes. We are pleased to have treated our first patient with this new technology, and we look forward to helping further advance the future of AFib treatment by offering more innovative solutions to area families.”
AFib is a common form of an irregular heartbeat, or arrhythmia, in the upper chambers of the heart. Symptoms include heart palpitations, chest pain, shortness of breath, fatigue, and dizziness or lightheadedness. High blood pressure, coronary artery disease, valve disease and diabetes can cause AFib. Without early intervention, AFib can worsen becoming more sustained over time.
About 10.5 million adults in the U.S. have an AFib diagnosis, according to the American College of Cardiology, which recently released a study indicating the number may be three times higher than previous estimates. Those with an AFib diagnosis are at greater risk for stroke, heart attack and chronic kidney disease.
The Medtronic PulseSelect™ Pulsed Field Ablation System delivers pulsed electric fields through an ablation catheter designed specifically to interrupt the irregular electrical pathways in the heart that trigger AFib. Current ablation technologies rely on thermal energy, risking damage to heart tissue and structures near the treatment site. PFA uses pulsed electric fields to efficiently isolate the pulmonary veins for the treatment of AFib. Because the mechanism of cell death is non-thermal, the risk of damage to surrounding tissue and structures is potentially lower.
Consult with your provider to learn if Medtronic PulseSelect™ Pulsed Field Ablation System is right for you. Take a free heart health risk assessment and discover more to protect your heart health at LourdesRMC.com/heart.
