DOYLESTOWN, Pa. (KYW Newsradio) — Doctors in Doylestown are testing a new procedure to treat a common heart rhythm issue.
Millions of Americans have atrial fibrillation, an irregular heart rhythm that can lead to blood clots and stroke. There are medications to treat it, but when they don't work, doctors often use ablation to destroy the tissue causing the electrical problem at the root of the irregularity.
Dr. John Harding , an electrophysiologist at Doylestown Hospital says currently doctors use heat or radio frequency energy or extreme cold, but those procedures can damage nearby tissue in the esophagus, aorta and lungs.
"We're looking at exciting new technologies that are non-thermal based, particularly this pulse field ablation which selectively destroys the cardiac cells with electrical pulses that are not thermal based," Harding said. "So, they don't heat the surrounding tissue, such as the esophagus or other areas, which again improves safety and efficacy of the ablation."
Harding says the pulsed atrial fibrillation treatment trial so far has shown this method is safer, more effective and faster.