(L-R) Jana Swart, Registered Nurse; Crystal Naidoo, Registered Nurse; Product Company Representative, Dr Vinod Thomas, Electrophysiologist and Cardiologist; Prof Kars Neven, Procedure Proctor; Mari Marks( Radiologist and Nadia De Jager, Technician
Image: Supplied
Life Vincent Pallotti Hospital’s specialist cardiac team has successfully performed, for the first time, a relatively new procedure, Pulse Field Electroporation Ablation (PFA) to treat atrial fibrillation, a common but debilitating heart rhythm (cardiac arrhythmia) disorder, without the need for large incisions or extensive surgery.
PFA, a minimally invasive procedure is gaining traction globally. Data shows that it minimises damage to surrounding tissues, reduces the risk of complications, is more efficient to traditional methods, offers a quicker recovery time and reduces the need for prolonged anaesthesia. The procedure is the first of its kind performed at a Life Healthcare hospital.
“Instead of the traditional method that involves heating or freezing the heart tissue which sometimes affects nearby heart tissue and can take longer to work effectively, the PFA uses short bursts of high energy electrical pulses to target and disrupt the heart cells that cause atrial fibrillation,” explained Dr Vinod Thomas, renowned cardiac electrophysiologist based at Life Vincent Pallotti Hospital.
The electrical pulses are delivered through a catheter, which is a thin, flexible tube inserted into a blood vessel and guided to the heart.
The 66-year-old patient who recently underwent the PFA procedure at Life Vincent Pallotti hospital, had been struggling with atrial fibrillation and was not responding to standard treatment. “After the procedure the patient’s atrial fibrillation was significantly reduced and follow up tests confirm the success of the procedure”, said Dr Thomas.
PFA is approved by medical regulatory authorities to treat arterial fibrillation, and ongoing clinical trials are expected to refine which patients will benefit the most, confirm long-term effectiveness, and compare real-world outcomes with traditional methods.
“Our experience with PFA for arterial fibrillation highlights the promise of a safer, more efficient approach to treating atrial fibrillation. This technique not only minimises damage to surrounding tissue but also improves the overall procedure and patient outcomes. As we continue to monitor the long-term results, we anticipate that this innovative technology will play an important role in the future of cardiac electrophysiology.”
As this technology evolves, Life Vincent Pallotti Hospital remains committed to adopting cutting-edge treatments that improve patient care and contribute to advancing the field of cardiology in South Africa.
The Catheterisation Laboratory (Cathlab) and Comprehensive Cardiac Centre at Life Vincent Pallotti Hospital treats patients suffering from a variety of heart diseases that require clinical intervention. The cardiac centre is an accredited Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implant (TAVI) facility offering less invasive procedures that are designed to replace a diseased aortic valve.
“Life Vincent Pallotti Hospital has been providing cardiac excellence to the community for over 26 years and continues to strive to be at the forefront of cardiac patient care. We are proud of our cardiac team's clinical accomplishments and the milestones achieved over this period, and we are fortunate to have highly skilled heart specialists, surgeons, technicians, nurses and allied professionals who offer this level of care and clinical intervention to our patients," said Gavin Pike, hospital manager at Life Vincent Pallotti Hospital.