Baptist Health utilizes a new method of ablation therapy for AFib patients

Dr. Tomassoni was the first electrophysiologist in Kentucky to perform an ablation using this technology in May.

(LEXINGTON, KY) June 16, 2023 - Baptist Health Lexington continues to offer innovative therapies to treat atrial fibrillation (AF or AFib), a heart condition in which the upper chambers of the heart beat too fast and irregularly, putting patients at risk for blood clots that can cause strokes.

The hospital recently opened an exciting research trial led by electrophysiologist Dr. Gery Tomassoni utilizing a new method of ablation therapy for AF patients called the FARAPULSE™ Pulsed Field Ablation (PFA) System.

While the system has been used to treat more than 10,000 patients globally to date, Dr. Tomassoni was the first electrophysiologist in Kentucky to perform an ablation using this technology in May.

“A positive outcome from this trial will support FDA approval, giving physicians added flexibility to treat AF in patients who can benefit from PFA therapy,” Dr. Tomassoni said.

Ablation procedures typically utilize thermal energy such as “burning” (radiofrequency ablation) or “freezing” (cryoablation) techniques, creating lesions in the heart tissue that stop the electrical signals causing AF. Instead, the FARAPULSE™ PFA System uses high energy electrical pulses that selectively destroys cardiac tissue using non-thermal energy.

“The use of this new technique reflects our continued commitment to finding the best treatments for our patients,” Dr. Tomassoni said. “While it’s still under clinical trial, it may prove to be a safer, faster, and more effective option than current methods of ablation.”

Find out more about our heart care services that offer everything from prevention to treatment, at BaptistHealth.com.