SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 16th Feb (EUROPA PRESS) –
La Candelaria University Hospital in Tenerife has unveiled a cutting-edge pulsed ablation (PFA) technology for treating atrial fibrillation (AF), the most prevalent arrhythmia. This marks a significant milestone as it becomes the first medical facility in the Canary Islands to adopt this technology.
With the integration of the PFA technique, the hospital fortifies its capability to effectively manage AF patients, contributing to the reduction of waiting lists and reaffirming its dedication to delivering exceptional medical care and innovation.
To date, the hospital has carried out five interventions using this state-of-the-art interventional technique, available at only 16 hospitals nationwide, signifying a significant advancement in the treatment of atrial fibrillation for eligible patients.
The PFA technique is suitable for patients aged between 50 and 70, with a slightly higher prevalence in men than in women, as they are more susceptible to atrial fibrillation. This option is considered when patients continue to experience symptoms despite ongoing medical treatment.
Atrial fibrillation is characterized by rapid and irregular heartbeats and can lead to complications such as heart failure and strokes.
When conventional treatments prove ineffective, PFA, an advanced technique that employs electrical fields to treat cardiac tissue, allowing selective tissue ablation, is employed. This focus enables treatment of only the cardiac cells requiring attention without disturbing or damaging surrounding critical tissue.
While the long-term results are comparable to commonly used techniques such as cryoablation and radiofrequency, the speed and safety advantages of PFA enhance both patient experience and hospital management. Patients experience no postoperative pain, enabling discharge within a few hours of the procedure.
This method replaces previous techniques such as radiofrequency ablation, involving the insertion of a wire through the veins to the heart, which emits heat to eliminate problematic tissue, and cryoablation, which freezes damaged tissues using a balloon-similar ablation method.
LINKED TO AGEING
Atrial fibrillation is the most common sustained cardiac arrhythmia, and its prevalence is linked to an ageing population.
It disrupts the normal heart conductivity, causing improper atrial contractions and irregularly accelerated ventricular contractions, hindering normal heart function.
While it may occur in healthy hearts, it typically affects individuals with cardiac pathology associated with other conditions such as high blood pressure or lung diseases, among others.
