Lehigh Valley Health Network Expands Innovative AFib Treatment to Lehigh Valley Hospital (LVH) –Pocono

In 2024 Lehigh Valley Heart and Vascular Institute began offering a new innovative treatment for atrial fibrillation (AFib). The new technology, FARAPULSE™, uses pulsed electrical fields to target problematic heart muscle cells, rather than the extreme heat or cold used in current treatments. This technology is now also available at LVH–Pocono.

“I’m pleased to be part of the team that can bring this advanced level of specialized treatment to patients near LVH–Pocono,” says Simon Gringut, MD. “My goal is to prevent and treat disorders that can lead to serious complications such as stroke, heart failure and sudden cardiac death. I always seek to advance my field through research and innovation, striving to provide the highest quality of medical care.”

FARAPULSE technology provides an alternative approach to correcting the world’s most common arrhythmia, or irregular heartbeat, while avoiding potential damage to cells in areas around the heart, such as the esophagus. If left untreated, AFib can lead to other serious medical problems like stroke. People suffering from AFib experience an irregular beating in the upper chambers of the heart, and blood doesn't flow as well as it should to the lower chambers of the heart.

“This is a significant development in AFib treatment,” says Babak Bozorgnia, MD, Section Chief of Cardiac Electrophysiology with the Heart and Vascular Institute. “Continuing to have the latest advances here in the Lehigh Valley means we’ll always deliver the world-class care our community expects.”

FARAPULSE’s manufacturer, Boston Scientific, says the system uses selective pulsed electric fields to ablate, or destroy, targeted areas of heart tissue that cause abnormal heart rhythms. Standard ablation uses high heat or cold on those tissues in a procedure called thermal ablation. FARAPULSE was shown to be safe and effective in clinical trials when compared to thermal ablation. It also shortens procedure times, which is beneficial to patients.

The Heart and Vascular Institute’s nine highly trained electrophysiologists across the region are on track to perform over 1,000 cardiac ablations in the current fiscal year, including thermal and the new FARAPULSE ablations.

FARAPULSE is available at Lehigh Valley Hospital–Cedar Crest, Lehigh Valley Hospital–Muhlenberg and Lehigh Valley Hospital–Pocono.

FARAPULSE represents another world-class offering available through the Heart and Vascular Institute’s AFib Center of Excellence, the region’s only such center.

AFib affects about 6 million people in the U.S. and 40 million worldwide.

The AFib Center of Excellence has been providing early access to industry leading AFib evaluation and treatment options since February 2022. The program offers same-day appointments for patients with newly diagnosed or uncontrolled AFib at multiple locations across the region. Specialized treatment plans and dedicated care navigation keep the patient connected throughout their AFib treatment.

“By addressing AFib earlier in someone’s timeline of care, they have a better opportunity to stop the progression of AFib before it becomes a long-term problem,” Dr. Bozorgnia says. “Through its rapid referral pathways, the AFib Center of Excellence is removing the barriers that have stood in the way for patients suffering from this treatable condition.”