Florida Medical Center is the first hospital in Broward County to perform heart ablations with the HeartLight Endoscopic Ablation System. This technology is a visually guided laser balloon giving physicians the ability to see within the heart and, for the first time, pinpoint and treat the cause of atrial fibrillation at the source. So far, more than 5,000 patients with AFib have been successfully treated with the system.
“This therapy will have significant benefits for those suffering from AFib,” said Jeffrey M. Welch, CEO at Florida Medical Center. “This technology will help those in our community who are dealing with this disease and allow them to have a more productive and active life.”
More than 2.3 million people in the United States suffer from atrial fibrillation, and the numbers are climbing along with the growing older population. AFib occurs when rapid, disorganized electrical signals cause the heart’s two upper chambers (called the atria) to contract very fast and irregularly. If left untreated, AFib can lead to blood clots, stroke, heart failure and other heart-related complications.
The HeartLight System provides physicians with the capacity to see within the heart and, for the first time, visually direct the application of laser energy to achieve durable PVI. The HeartLight also allows full rotational and axial energy positioning capabilities. Energy is applied in a series of continuous 30° arcs, and can be freely directed to any area, creating precisely tailored lesion sets. The Endoscope allows the electrophysiologist (EP) to visually see the pulmonary veins (PVs) they are ablating unlike older or alternative solutions that rely on x-ray or mapping support for guidance. A universal balloon easily accommodates PVs with varying anatomies and sizes, providing the clinician maximum procedural flexibility. Focused laser energy enables precise ablation, optimized for variations in the anatomy as well as the ability to titrate energy as needed for an individual patient’s cardiac anatomy and varied thickness of the PVs.
For more information please visit https://www.floridamedctr.com/our-services/heart-vascular
