The procedure was not previously available in central Missouri

MU Health Care is the first Missouri health system outside of St. Louis and Kansas City to offer a new technique to treat heart rhythm problems such as atrial fibrillation.

Atrial fibrillation is an abnormal heart rhythm that can cause blood clots to form in the heart and raises the risk of stroke, heart failure and other serious heart problems.  

MU Health Care’s new pulsed field ablation treats atrial fibrillation by applying electrical pulses to safely destroy specific cells that cause abnormal rhythm without damaging healthy cells.  

MU Health Care offers pulsed field ablation in addition to more commonly used treatments including radiofrequency ablation which uses heat to destroy abnormal tissue and cryoablation which uses extreme cold.

“We are proud to be the only provider in the region with the expertise to provide pulsed field ablation treatment,” said Dr. Sandeep Gautam, director of cardiac electrophysiology. “Pulsed field ablation not only expands our treatment options, but it also provides a more effective treatment, faster procedure time and quicker recovery.”

Unlike treatments that use heat or cold to destroy problem cells, pulsed field ablation applies ultra-rapid electrical pulses to specifically target the cardiac cells without affecting nearby tissues. Because it avoids collateral tissue damage, the risk of complications is lower compared to heat-based ablation. Studies have shown that pulsed field ablation works as well as, or better than traditional ablation in controlling abnormal heart rhythms.  

If you suspect you may have an irregular heart rhythm, contact your primary care provider for an evaluation. 

Contact: Eric Maze, mazee@health.missouri.edu, (573) 884-3656