Chrissy Baker of Harrisburg now walks her dog, Pixie, regularly after undergoing a pulsed field ablation procedure to treat atrial fibrillation at Penn State Health Holy Spirit Medical Center.
One is a retired dentist who lives near a state university. The other is an insurance professional and mother of two from Harrisburg. The third person is a former high school teacher from the Reading area.
October 14, 2024 Pennsylvania Health News
Although they have never met, they share a common bond.
All have atrial fibrillation (AFib). Atrial fibrillation is caused by irregular, often rapid heartbeats in the upper part of the heart. It is the most common heart rhythm disorder in adults in the United States.
This summer, the trio became some of the first patients to undergo a newly approved cardiac ablation procedure at Penn State Health.
Now, since undergoing pulsed-field ablation (PFA), all three are feeling more energetic and have had fewer, if any, episodes of atrial fibrillation.
“I used to be so tired. I just sleep, I don’t want to walk or exercise. And I’m a ‘go to’ person. I go all the time,” said Chrissy Baker, a 48-year-old insurance claims manager who underwent the PFA procedure at Penn State Health Holy Spirit Medical Center in Camp Hill in July. “Now I have the energy back.”
Traditionally, cardiac ablation is a procedure used to create small scars in tissue to block false signals within the heart, using cold energy (cryoablation) or thermal (radiofrequency) energy techniques. Ta.
Although thermal ablation is still available, a new PFA technology was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in January. The FARAPULSE system (Boston Scientific) uses PFA and is currently available at Holy Spirit Medical Center, Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, and Penn State Health St. Joseph Medical Center.
“We’ve been performing this procedure since June, shortly after it became commercially available,” said Dr. Sara Hussain, an electrophysiologist at Penn State Heart and Vascular Institute and associate professor of medicine at Penn State College of Medicine. Ta. “We have performed more than 100 PFA procedures across the Penn State Health System.”
Pulsed-field ablation, which uses short bursts of electrical energy to target heart tissue, offers doctors a new option for treating atrial fibrillation, Hussain said.
“We strive to customize treatments for each patient,” Hussein said. “It is important that we continue to expand our toolkit of treatment options for atrial fibrillation. Specific treatments work differently for each patient.”
From secret excuses to walking the Great Dane
Baker, who is busy working full-time and raising two teenagers, began having heart problems several years ago. Diagnosed with a low resting heart rate, or bradycardia, she had a pacemaker inserted. She was also dealing with intermittent atrial fibrillation, which caused her to experience a hot pinprick sensation that ran diagonally from the bottom right side of her heart to the top left side.
“Sometimes it’s a little more intense than the other symptoms, and that’s when I feel like I have to go to the hospital,” Baker said. “The feeling of atrial fibrillation didn’t go away right away. Sometimes they would.”
Last Easter, Baker was at a friend’s house when a group decided to go for a walk after dinner. She was secretly suffering from lingering symptoms of atrial fibrillation, so she made excuses for not wearing sneakers and not feeling well because she was worried about what would happen if she took part in the walk. Her heart condition was continually impacting her quality of life.
Within three months, Baker underwent pulsed field ablation. Initially, she still did not feel very well and experienced at least one significant atrial fibrillation event after the procedure. Gradually her energy increased. She now walks over 10,000 steps a day, including daily lunchtime walks with her Great Dane. She has not had any symptoms of atrial fibrillation since mid-August.
The goal of AFib ablation is to improve quality of life and allow patients to return to their previous activity level without experiencing future episodes or experiencing shorter, less frequent episodes than before. said Dr. Jamal Hajjari, the electrophysiologist who performed the Baker ablation. PFA Technique at Holy Spirit Medical Center. Some patients may need multiple ablations to reduce the burden of atrial fibrillation, he said.
fewer complications
Joseph Martin, of Bellefonte, seen in a photo posted with his 9-year-old granddaughter Evelyn, underwent pulsed field ablation at Milton S. Hershey Medical Center in August.
Hajari said clinical evidence shows that PFA technology is about as effective as thermal ablation methods used in patients with intermittent atrial fibrillation. Reported success rates are >70% for a single ablation. Although the procedure took approximately the same time using each technique, PFA increased the overall efficiency of AFib ablation.
The main advantage that PFA has over other techniques is that it is less likely to cause collateral damage to the area around the heart, Hajjari said. He noted that the rate of major complications after ablation is less than 2%, and the risk of collateral damage to the phrenic nerve, which controls the diaphragm, or the esophagus from thermal ablation is less than 1%.
For Joseph Martin, a retired Bellefonte dentist, that safety aspect was a selling point. After suffering a stroke in 2020, he learned he also suffered from atrial fibrillation. In late 2022, he underwent RF (thermal) ablation, which was initially effective, but his atrial fibrillation returned. Doctors recommended a second ablation, but Martin was reluctant. The first surgery lasted more than six hours, and she suffered from heartburn and nausea afterwards.
Martin was researching the new PFA procedure and considering having it performed at an Ohio hospital in October when he learned that Penn State Medical Center would be offering the procedure this summer. Mr. Hussein underwent PFA on August 8 at Milton S. Hershey Medical Center.
“I’m not even close to the symptoms I was feeling before,” Martin said. “No matter what kind of physical activity I did, I would feel sluggish, a little lightheaded, and sometimes anxious. Knock on wood, I’ve never felt anything like that since taking PFA. I don’t feel any sensations.”
Hajari said some patients are unaware that their loss of energy and shortness of breath may be due to causes other than the normal aging process. It is best to seek medical advice when these symptoms first appear.
Palpitations are gone
David Muarder, a Leesport resident who has taught at Conrad Weiser High School for 34 years, suffered from an elevated heart rate and difficulty breathing twice last year. Each time he went to the emergency room. He was eventually diagnosed with atrial fibrillation and underwent PFA by Dr. Christopher Rogers at St. Joseph Medical Center in July.
After undergoing pulse field ablation at St. Joseph Medical Center, Leesport’s David Muarder was able to return to the golf course.
Dr. Rogers explained the new treatment and provided Dr. Muarder with extensive literature to help patients make the best decisions. Muarder, 68, a former technical education instructor, knew PFA technology was the right choice for him. He continues to believe so.
“Before, I was feeling more palpitations in my chest and heart,” Muader said. “And after the surgery, they almost disappeared.”
Penn State continues to offer multiple ablation options to treat atrial fibrillation, and this latest technology provides patients with another effective option.
“I recommend it, especially since my wife and I are very active,” said Martin, a retired dentist. “We are very involved with our grandchildren, so I think it’s worth a try. If you want to live an active, healthy life without feeling so tired and anxious, then yes, I I recommend it.”
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