AUSTIN, Texas , Dec. 4, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Electrophysiologists at the Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute (TCAI) at St. David's Medical Center recently became the first in the nation to use , an all-in-one high-density mapping and dual-energy ablation catheter for the treatment of persistent atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter, cardiac arrhythmias that affect millions of people worldwide, after receiving approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The sphere-shaped catheter allows physicians to deliver energy to a specific area of the heart and map the patient's heart at the same time.
The first procedure was performed by Andrea Natale , MD, FHRS, FACC, FESC, cardiac electrophysiologist and executive medical director of TCAI, and Amin Al-Ahmad , MD, clinical cardiac electrophysiologist, on November 7, 2024. Dr. Natale also participated in the trial that led to FDA approval.
“This first-of-its-kind, all-in-one catheter allows physicians to map, ablate and validate with a single catheter, improving workflow flexibility and efficiency and ultimately safety and effectiveness,” said Dr. Natale. “As global innovation in cardiac arrhythmia treatment continues to advance, the Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute is grateful to lead the way for patients in Central Texas and beyond.”
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This new system allows physicians to customize treatment based on the patient's needs during an ablation procedure, using either pulsed field or radiofrequency energy, while providing mapping capabilities to correct rapid and abnormal heart rhythms.
Pulsed field ablation is a non-thermal ablation that delivers short, high-energy electrical pulses to heart tissue to destroy cells responsible for irregular heart rhythms without excessive heat or cold, whereas radiofrequency ablation uses thermal energy (heat and cold) to destroy cells responsible for irregular heart rhythms.
Earlier this year, TCAI performed the first cases in the country for the two pulsed-field ablation catheters that have been commercially approved.
The TCAI is a state-of-the-art electrophysiology center that includes six laboratories equipped with advanced technology where a group of renowned cardiac electrophysiologists performs a large number of the most complex electrophysiology procedures.
