Community Health Network performs first pulsed field ablation in Indiana

A new procedure offers safer, quicker treatment for atrial fibrillation patients

INDIANAPOLIS—A Community Health Network patient became the first in Indiana to receive pulsed field ablation (PFA), the newest treatment available for the growing problem of atrial fibrillation (AFib), a heart rhythm disorder that is the leading cause of stroke.

AFib contributes to about 158,000 deaths each year, according to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control). It is estimated that more than 12 million people will have AFib in 2030.

Community invested in the latest state-of-the-art technology to treat AFib with a safer, quicker, and more efficient procedure called pulsed field ablation. “We were not only first in the state of Indiana but amongst the first ten hospitals in the country to utilize this technology,” said Dr. Sandeep Dube, cardiologist and physician executive at Community Heart and Vascular Hospital.

Medtronic PulseSelect™ PFA system uses short bursts of high-energy electrical fields to create heart tissue scars. Traditional ablation procedures use thermal energy, which can increase the risk of collateral damage due to excessive heat affecting surrounding tissues.

Dr. Krishna Malineni, medical director of electrophysiology at Community, who performed the first PFA in Indiana, is excited about this innovative technology. He says, “Twenty years ago, in the infancy of ablation, procedures took up to seven hours and carried significant risk. Now, with PFA, the procedure can take less than hour, with patients able to be up in five to six hours and often going home the same day.” The hospital averages up to twenty ablation procedures each week.

Community Health Network has also invested in Farapulse by Boston Scientific, the only other FDA-approved PFA system, to ensure a better outcome for patients.

For more information on cardiovascular care, go to eCommunity.com/heart.

About Community Health Network
Headquartered in Indianapolis, Community Health Network has been deeply committed to the communities it serves since opening its first hospital, Community Hospital East, in 1956. Community Health Network puts patients first while offering a full continuum of healthcare services, world-class innovations and a new focus on population health management. Exceptional care, simply delivered, is what sets Community Health Network apart and what makes it a leading not-for-profit healthcare destination in central Indiana. For more information about Community Health Network, please visit eCommunity.com.