Sarah Bush Lincoln Electrophysiologists Mohamed Labedi, MD, and Abraham Kocheril, MD, recently performed the first pulse field ablations as part of SBL’s new electrophysiology service line.
“It is very exciting for the staff to perform the first pulse field ablations at Sarah Bush Lincoln,” SBL Cath Lab Supervisor Connie Hoel, MSN, RN, said. “This is a cutting-edge treatment that only a select number of hospitals are currently able to provide, and it allows us to improve care for community members with safer and more effective options.”
Pulse field ablation is a treatment for irregular heart rhythms, such as atrial fibrillation. During the procedure, a thin tube (catheter) is placed through a vein and guided into the heart. Instead of heating or freezing, this new technology delivers very short, controlled electrical pulses to the small areas of heart tissue causing the abnormal rhythm.
In atrial fibrillation, the problem usually starts in the pulmonary veins, where stray electrical signals fire into the upper chambers of the heart (the atria). The ablation creates a ring of treated tissue around these pulmonary veins, stopping those signals from spreading and triggering atrial fibrillation.
“The goal is to eliminate or reduce abnormal heart rhythms, which can improve symptoms like palpitations, fatigue, shortness of breath and lower the risk of complications, like strokes from atrial fibrillation,” Hoel said.
Hoel said SBL’s ability to perform pulse field ablations is a huge benefit for the community. “Patients no longer need to travel long distances to larger centers to receive advanced ablation therapy,” she said. “They can now access state-of-the-art care close to home, with the comfort of being treated by the same physicians and nurses they already know and trust.”
For more information, contact The Heart Center at SBL at 217-238-4960.