Dr. John Mandrola previously had reservations about Pulse Field Ablation being a breakthrough in treating afib. Npw that he has personally seen it in action, he has changed his mind.
From his Substack 11/22
"Now I have used PFA. And. It is somewhat amazing. It ablates cardiac tissue quickly and easily. Patients hardly feel chest pain after the procedure."
And he goes on and on and on...
On a personal note, PFA would be my choice if I needed a catheter ablation, especially if the center was not high volume, because PFA is not as operator dependent as RFA or Cryo.
Jim
Written by
mjames1
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
I'm undergoing my fourth ablation in 4.5 years soon. I'm dreading the months of recovering which it has taken me each time (six months or more to return to full or nearly full energy) especially since the other three lasted an average of 4 months before they failed.
There is a chance I will be be pensioned off on Medical grounds as my sick record is so poor with all those ablations and 10 cardioversions in that time, which I don't want. It's all very depressing but I cannot stay on amiodarone any longer.
I've heard the recovery is better with PFA and I hope Dr Mandola is correct about it's efficacy.
Reading this has really given me a boost, thank you for sharing 🙏👍🤞❤️
I think that'll be my next line of call if this doesn't work. They say it's "just" atypical flutter this time so easier to treat 🤞🤞🤞🤞thank you for the information 👍
Yes, mini maze will not work for typical (right-sided) aflutter. RF is what they usually use. High success rate. PFA not used for typical flutter last time I checked. The PFA instrument is too blunt and designed mostly for pulmonary veins.
Yes, recovery seems better and efficacy about the same as rf or cryo. Another option is mini maze, which has shown better results in difficult cases, however longer recovery.
Hey Jim - not been on for a while. My ablation has kept me symptom free for over 3 years - I'm in constant AFIB but my resting heart rate is 63 and I'm jogging 30 miles a week and still hitting the gym. Life is good and I hope this finds you well.
Yes - that was what I was told a few months back by my specialist when I was put on the NHS waiting list for mine. I can't say that I am looking forward to having an ablation, nonetheless, especially as my AF tends to be at a somewhat lower rate and less uncomfortable, of late, even if now far more frequent.
His practice is in Louisville, KY. USA. My understanding is that he uses ablation sparingly, so he may not be high volume, which I think is important, but perhaps a little less important with PFA.
interesting I wonder what version he used… since the Study comparing RFA and PFA some time ago, I understand they are up to version 3 of the catheter. I would be interested to see how they compare today. I saw an EP who now does PFA for AF and RFA for AFlutter and suggested he could do both at the same time if I decide to do.
At the moment Sinus is my friend and hoping to stay there for a long while. FYI Jim there’s an Australian company Imracor conducting Aflutter ablations at John Hopkins looking towards FDA approval. Hopefully all goes well as the system is using MRI guided catheters which sound like they will be more accurate than current technology and therefore lessen the need to have 2,3 and 4 ablations.
I don't know the version but I assume the latest available in the United States. Here, all the ep's who do PFA also do RF where needed in the same procedure. For example, that would cover those who have both afib and aflutter.
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
Had pulse field ablation April 15.
pulse field ablation 5 weeks ago 
pulsed field ablation
PFA ablation
