Southcoast Health is pleased to announce the Heart and Vascular program at Charlton Memorial Hospital is the first practice in New England to perform an innovative procedure treating atrial fibrillation (AFib) with the PulseSelect Pulsed Field Ablation (PFA)™ system.

“This accomplishment is a credit to Southcoast Health, our providers and our patients,” said Nitesh Sood, MD, Director of the Atrial Fibrillation Wellness Program at Southcoast Health Heart and Vascular. “Going from participating in the study for this device three years ago, to performing the first case in New England is a big achievement. This technology offers us the ability to ablate cardiac tissue in areas where, in the past, we were limited with regard to the amount of energy we could deliver. This may help us in treating certain cases.”

Led by Dr. Sood, Southcoast Health was the first in New England, 12th in the United States and 16th in the world to complete this procedure.

This new technique features breakthrough ablation technology, pulsed field ablation (PFA) that directs pulsed electric fields to efficiently isolate the pulmonary veins for the treatment of atrial fibrillation.

“It is our goal to be at the forefront of technology and increase the repertoire of what we can offer our patients,” said Ramin Davoudi, MD, Medical Director of Electrophysiology at Southcoast Health Heart and Vascular. “Our expert team at Charlton Memorial is dedicated to staying up to date with new techniques and technology to ensure we offer our patients a full spectrum of care.”

Atrial fibrillation is an abnormal heart rhythm characterized by a rapid and irregular heartbeat, called an arrhythmia. AFib occurs when the heart’s electrical system is not working correctly, potentially causing serious health problems, including stroke.

According to the CDC, a person experiencing AFib is five times more likely to experience a stroke than someone with a regular heart rhythm. It is believed that this condition causes one in seven strokes (https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/atrial_fibrillation.htm).

“We’re really proud that we were the first in New England to offer this new technology, and this procedure exemplifies that we are a regional leader in all of cardiovascular care,” said Peter Cohn, MD, Physician-in-Chief of Southcoast Health Heart and Vascular. “We are committed to being on the forefront of cardiovascular services, bringing advanced treatment options you would normally only find in large cities to the people in our community.”

To learn more about Southcoast Health Heart and Vascular click here.