New Way to Treat AFib

Lehigh Valley Heart and Vascular Institute now offers treatment for atrial fibrillation (AFib) with a new system that uses pulsed electrical fields to target problematic heart muscle cells instead of extreme heat or cold.

The newly approved and highly anticipated 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.

Untreated AFib can lead to stroke and other serious medical problems. When someone has AFib, the normal beating in the upper chambers of the heart is irregular, and blood doesn't flow as well as it should to the lower chambers of the heart.

FARAPULSE maker 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.

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

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 and Lehigh Valley Hospital–Muhlenberg, with Lehigh Valley Hospital–Pocono expected to offer this treatment later this year.

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

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 journey.

“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.”