Groundbreaking Technology Improves an Ablation Treatment’s Effectiveness for Atrial Fibrillation

A new ablation technology offers hope for improved health outcomes for patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), according to a recently published study led by Luigi Di Biase, MD, PhD, FACC, FHRS, Section Head, Electrophysiology; Director, Arrhythmia Services; and Professor, Department of Medicine (Cardiology), Montefiore Einstein.

The nonrandomized clinical trial, “Composite Index Tagging for PVI in Paroxysmal AF: A Prospective, Multicenter Postapproval Study,” earned Dr. Di Biase and his research team national recognition and showcased Montefiore Einstein’s leadership in electrophysiology. The results of the study on the new form of ablation treatment were published in JACC: Clinical Electrophysiology.

Dr. Di Biase calls atrial fibrillation “a pandemic of the heart.” The condition is associated with age (among other factors). With people living longer, thanks to improvements in medications and treatments, the number of people who will have atrial fibrillation is growing every year. Atrial fibrillation may affect up to 5 million people in the next decade.

Ablation is the process of creating small scars in the heart that restore the regular heartbeat. The new technology quickly analyzes several different metrics during the procedure and scores the quality of the lesions. The results of the study showed that more than 80% of clinical trial participants were completely free of atrial fibrillation recurrence during the 12-month period following the procedure.

“This trial tested new software that makes something that was subjective more objective,” said Dr. Di Biase, “allowing us to form better lesions with better outcomes.” In addition to measuring the quality of the lesions, the software used in this trial provides guidance to the operator on when to move on to the next lesion. “By reducing dependence on the operator to make these decisions, we hope more patients will be free of atrial fibrillation,” he added.