The affiliated cardiovascular team at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center, alongside affiliated physicians from UTHealth Houston Heart and Vascular, were the first in Texas to perform a new therapy option for patients with atrial fibrillation (AFib).
Pulsed field ablation, or PFA, works by delivering highly targeted electrical pulses to problem areas within a patient’s heart to destroy the cells causing abnormal heart rhythms, reducing the risk of damaging adjacent tissue in patients with complex disease or anatomy. The technology allows ablation procedures to be performed with a lower risk of damage to surrounding tissues than thermal ablation.
The latest technology being employed at Memorial Hermann-TMC features an all-in-one catheter design to support disease diagnosis, mapping, ablation and use during cases in which a patient receives either conscious sedation or general anesthesia, which is a significant benefit for patients where anesthesia is a barrier to performing ablations.
“Innovation is a constant component in our approach to providing patients with the best standard of care for complex cardiac conditions,” said Dr. Ramesh Hariharan, and chief of the Cardiac Electrophysiology Section at UTHealth Houston and medical director of Cardiac Electrophysiology at Memorial Hermann-TMC. “We are excited to be the first health system in the state to introduce the latest technology in treatment of atrial fibrillation, which offers great promise to patients with difficult-to-treat arrhythmias.”
Approximately 12 million people in the United States over the age of 65 have AFib, a number expected to double over the next 20 years. This new pulsed field ablation therapy allows physicians to preview and precisely identify areas in the heart that require ablation—providing a level of accuracy that can result in fewer electrical pulses to the heart.
The Cardiac Electrophysiology Program at Memorial Hermann-TMC provides the most advanced, clinically proven therapies through its commitment to delivering innovative, evidence-based care. With this new leading-edge procedure and nationally approved service, the Program offers access to the full spectrum of modern heart rhythm therapies. Learn more about cardiac care services at the Larry D. Johnson Heart & Vascular Institute at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center here.