The Central Maine Heart and Vascular Institute (CMHVI), which is located at Central Maine Medical Center (CMMC) in Lewiston, became the first hospital in Maine on Monday to successfully treat atrial fibrillation using non-thermal equipment that is designed to minimize potential damage to the heart.
Atrial fibrillation (Afib) occurs when the top two chambers of the heart, the atria, beat too fast and with an irregular rhythm (fibrillation). Afib, the most common type of arrhythmia, can decrease the heart’s pumping efficiency and lead to stroke.
Ablation is a procedure that treats Afib by using small burns or freezes to cause some scarring on the inside of the heart to help break up the electrical signals that cause irregular heartbeats. During a traditional ablation procedure, a catheter is guided to the interior of the heart and generates extreme temperatures – hot or cold – to destroy targeted areas in the heart associated with abnormal heart rhythms.
“The major problem with the traditional type of ablation is it can damage the structures around the heart, including the esophagus and the nerves that help us to breath,” said Dionyssius Robotis, MD, an electrophysiologist at CMMC who performed the procedure. “By contrast, the FARAPULSE™ Pulsed Field Ablation System that was used for the first time at CMMC this week, relies on tissue selective, non-thermal electric fields to ablate heart tissue and avoid further damage”
According to Dr. Joseph Dell’Orfano, director of Electrophysiogy at CMHVI, “Atrial fibrillation is the most common heart rhythm problem and is on the rise, affecting one in four patients over the age of 40. It’s very exciting that we now have an effective treatment that is also much safer to offer the people of Central Maine.” Dr. Dell’Orfano assisted Dr. Robotis during the first in Maine procedure.