Pulsed Field Ablation Safety Issues: Will Newer Devices Clear the Stumbling Block?

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Source: MedPage Today

Original: https://www.medpagetoday.com/cardiology/arrhythmias/119203...

Published: Mon, 29 Dec 2025 11:03:30 -0500

In April 2024, MedPage Today reported on a study that raised concerns about safety issues with pulsed-field ablation of atrial fibrillation.1 The article traces the further development of this technology, called pulsed-field ablation (PFA).[1] The 100th catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation with the Farapulse system was performed at the AGEL Košice-Šaca Cardiac Centre.This method is highly effective, fast, safe and comfortable for the patient under general anaesthesia.[The pulsed field is applied by electroporation using fast electrical pulses with a voltage of about 2000 V, which leads to irreversible damage to the cells responsible for the arrhythmia without thermal destruction.1 The mechanism opens the pores in the cell membrane and prevents damage to surrounding tissues such as the esophagus, vessel walls or nerves.[1] At the SUSCH, PFA has reduced the average procedure time to one hour, compared to two hours or more for radiofrequency or cryoablation.The method increases the safety, effectiveness, and availability of atrial fibrillation treatment in Slovakia.[1][2