The Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute (TCAI) at St David’s Medical Centre recently became the first US facility to participate in a clinical trial evaluating the safety and effectiveness of a next-generation mapping and pulsed field ablation system to treat patients with paroxysmal and persistent atrial fibrillation.
Andrea Natale, M.D., F.H.R.S., F.A.C.C., F.E.S.C., executive medical director of TCAI and the global principal investigator for the trial, performed the first procedure.
Atrial fibrillation is the most common type of arrhythmia, affecting millions of people worldwide. It occurs when the top two chambers of the heart beat too fast and irregularly. Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation is an arrhythmia with symptoms lasting for seven days or fewer, while persistent atrial fibrillation is a sustained arrhythmia that lasts over a week. Early treatment of paroxysmal and persistent atrial fibrillation can reduce the risk of blood clots, stroke and heart failure, and could prevent the disease from becoming permanent.
Dr Natale said, “Pulsed field ablation represents one of the most significant advancements in electrophysiology in decades, and this clinical trial will help physicians around the world better understand the safety and effectiveness of this technology. The Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute remains at the forefront of arrhythmia care, helping to advance technologies that will shape the future of electrophysiology.”
The catheter system relies on electric fields to ablate targeted heart tissue without excess heat or cold, reducing the risk of damage to surrounding structures. The system incorporates advanced 3D cardiac mapping technology that provides a detailed view of the heart’s electrical activity, enabling physicians to visualise catheter position and tissue contact before and after energy delivery.
During a traditional ablation procedure, a catheter is guided into the heart’s interior using extreme heat or cold to destroy tissue associated with abnormal heart rhythms, increasing the risk of damaging surrounding tissues.
TCAI is an Electrophysiology Centre with six labs equipped with advanced technology where a group of renowned cardiac electrophysiologists perform a high volume of complex electrophysiology procedures.
