Electrophysiologists at the Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute (TCAI) at St David’s Medical Center (Austin, USA) recently became the first in the USA to use an all-in-one, high-density mapping and dual-energy ablation catheter (Affera [Medtronic]) for the treatment of persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) and atrial flutter following its receipt of approval by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The sphere-shaped catheter allows physicians to deliver energy to a specific area of the heart and map the patient’s heart at the same time.
The first procedure was performed by Andrea Natale and Amin Al-Ahmad (both TCAI, Austin, USA) on 7 November 2024. Natale also participated in the trial that led to FDA approval, according to a recent TCAI press release.
“This all-in-one, first-of-its-kind catheter allows physicians to map, ablate and validate, all with a single catheter, enhancing workflow flexibility and efficiency, ultimately enabling greater safety and efficacy,” Natale said. “As global innovation for the treatment of heart arrhythmias continues to advance, the Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute is grateful to be leading the way for patients in Central Texas and beyond.”
The release goes on to note that this novel system allows physicians to customise treatment based on a patient’s needs during an ablation procedure—using either a pulsed field or radiofrequency energy delivery—while providing mapping capabilities to correct abnormal heart rhythms.
Earlier this year, TCAI conducted the first cases in the USA for both of the pulsed field ablation (PFA) catheters that were commercially approved at the time as well.
