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Any have experience with new "pulse field ablation" procedure
As I understand it this procedure is very new but safer and more
effective than traditional ablation. Stanford, UCLA, and possibly Scripps in San Diego are the hospitals thus far using the new procedures here in the West.
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There is a thread at this link.
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/any-have-experience-with-new-pulse-field-ablation-procedure/?pg=1#comment-1137380
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1 ReactionHello @wpeppo, like @harveywj mentioned, I combined your discussion with an existing discussion titled, "Any have experience with new pulse field ablation procedure" - https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/any-have-experience-with-new-pulse-field-ablation-procedure/.
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1 ReactionHello. Although I've never experienced AF, my PAC burden has been 14-15% for the past 2+ months. I have a long history of HCM and multiple conduction issues (worsening 1st degree AV block, RBBB and LAFB), so it's a crapshoot whether I go into heart block or get AF first. I'm considering being proactive with PFA if Mayo will perform the procedure on a patient without established AF. Could you please let me know how successful the PFA was in suppressing your PACs after 13 months? Thanks
PFA on 05/23/2025 at University of Colorado Health in Auroa. Great cardio organization if you are in or have access to Denver.
100% successful…I think. I was asymptomatic so I suppose I can’t say for sure that I haven’t had any afib. A Holter monitor and my Apple Watch haven’t picked anything up so I feel good about it. Here is one thing with PFA: when I had mine I had been diagnosed with the afib and PACs, about a 12% burden. The electrophysiologist found the source of the PACs but couldn’t do anything about it because the PFA catheter wasn’t flexible enough or something enough to get to the spot. If my ablation had been done the old fashioned way I wonder if he could have cleaned everything up.
As a follow up to my post like @jefftalley I was asymptomatic. Didn't know I had Afib until it was spotted while I was being prepared for cataract surgery. When they did my PFA it turns out that I also had flutter that I did not know about, and they did the PFA in both the left and right atria. They spent about an hour and a half doing ablations and administering drugs to get my heart to flutter or go into Afib so they could find all of the areas to ablate. So far, no problems according to my Cardio Mobile device. On Eliquis but stopped metoprolol after about 60 days post PFA.
I've done a great deal of research on this, you might want to do so as well for perspective and insight. "New" is relative. Some major clinics do this exclusively now. I believe someone sent you the Mayo link; there are several if not many others -- across the country.
Pulse Field Ablation:
St. Mark's Heart Center, Salt Lake City, UT. Dr. John Day and his staff are Excellent!
Bob
Idaho
PFA in January 2025. BayState Cardiology in Springfield, MA. So far no Afib episodes. Still get occasional ectopic beats, which I had before the PFA, but just started drinking magnesium citrate, which appears to be reducing the frequency of those.
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3 ReactionsHad mine 2 weeks ago today. More involved than planned. PVI, Posterior Left Atrial Wall, a little on Right side too PLUS isolation of the LAA and going back in 5 weeks for a Watchman. There was lots of activity found near the LAA. Whole process knocked me down for about 3 days but I had never had Gen Anesthesia before either.