Atlanta-based Northside Hospital has treated its first patient using Medtronic's PulseSelect pulsed field ablation system for treating paroxysmal or persistent atrial fibrillation.
The device, which was recently approved by the FDA, uses pulsed electric fields to efficiently and safely treat A-fib, according to a Nov. 19 press release.
The procedure was successfully performed on Sept. 9 at Northside Hospital Atlanta by cardiac electrophysiologist Alok Gambhir, MD.
Unlike traditional ablation technologies that rely on heat and risk damaging surrounding tissues, Medtronic's non-thermal mechanism reduces the potential for collateral damage.
Atrial fibrillation currently impacts 59 million people worldwide, and can worsen overtime without early intervention.