Research on "Gold Standard" AFib treatment published in prestigious journal

Prestigious electrophysiology journal HeartRhythm recently published a multicenter study on pulsed-field ablation (PFA) for atrial fibrillation, or AFib. The study was co-authored by Dr. John Day, one of the leading experts in the deployment of PFA technology and a physician leader in MountainStar Healthcare’s cardiovascular program.

“Pulsed-field ablation has truly become the gold standard for treating AFib, the most common heart rhythm abnormality,” said Day, who treats patients at the Heart Center at St. Mark’s. “Data suggests that one in four Americans will experience AFib at some point in their life, and this research aims to refine the cutting-edge treatment.”

PFA is an outpatient procedure performed without incisions or stitches. Trained physicians use 3D mapping to deliver electronic pulses (or ablations) directly to misfiring heart cells. PFA is much more targeted than its predecessors, radiofrequency or cryoablation, resulting in a shorter procedure that is safer and more effective for treating AFib. As a result, patients benefit from a less invasive procedure and generally recover in less time.

“Not only is the procedure much safer in our experience, but also the recoveries tend to be much quicker,” Day added. “In fact, for many of our patients, the next day they feel almost as if they had not even had a procedure. They are able to return to their regular activities much sooner, and are much less likely to have a recurrence of the AFib symptoms.

In the newly published study, Day and 12 co-authors examined the impact of delivering additional pulses to the heart tissue. They analyzed 535 procedures performed at 48 centers across the United States, Europe and Australia. On both leading PFA systems, the delivery of additional pulses led to better ablation outcomes for the study population.

“We bring leading-edge treatments to our community and are extremely proud that the first PFA cases in Utah were performed right here in our award-winning facility,” said Matt Hasbrouck, chief executive officer at St. Mark’s Hospital. “Our electrophysiology team has been involved in PFA research for years. Dr. Day and Dr. Nischala Nannapaneni at our Heart Center have treated more than 1,000 AFib patients with PFA. Their contributions to the medical science around AFib and pulsed-field ablation have impacted countless lives in our community and far beyond it.”

Individuals with AFib may feel a quivering or fluttering heartbeat. However, sometimes people have no symptoms at all, or detect milder symptoms such as fatigue, dizziness or shortness of breath with exertion. AFib is linked to increased risk for strokes, dementia, heart failure or kidney failure.

“Our goal is to get your heart and your life back to normal,” Day said.