Patients with the most common type of heart arrhythmia have a promising new treatment option available only in Central Florida at the AdventHealth Heart, Lung and Vascular Institute. The Pulse Field Ablation (PFA) procedure is for atrial fibrillation (AFib) patients and is designed to help them maintain a normal rhythm. This spring, AdventHealth led the inaugural Pulse Field Ablation (PFA) procedure in Central Florida and other patients have followed with the same success.
“The procedure was quick, and the recovery was fast,” said Kroy Crofoot who underwent the PFA procedure at AdventHealth Orlando in July. “I went in at 9 am, went home by 4 pm and was walking by the end of the day.”
Crofoot, who is a local furniture store owner, says he has more energy now than before the PFA procedure and he was back at work the next day, but with lifting restrictions.
“PFA is a targeted treatment that’s a safer, more efficient approach than traditional methods like radiofrequency ablation that uses heat. Heat can inadvertently damage surrounding tissues,” said Dr. Naushad Shaik, electrophysiologist and EP medical director at the AdventHealth Heart, Lung and Vascular Institute. “Our patients are learning about this new treatment and asking for it – and it has improved outcomes.”
PFA works by delivering short-duration electrical pulses to the heart tissue. The energy from the pulses kills the cells in only the cardiac tissue causing the irregular heart rate and rhythm, therefore restoring the heart to a more normal condition.
— provided by AdventHealth