Phoenix hospital 1st in nation to use new atrial fibrillation treatment
Sep 12, 2023, 4:15 AM
Banner University Medical Center Phoenix has started employing the POLARx cryoablation system, a catheter device that uses two different-sized balloons used for a minimally invasive procedure that freezes tissue at the opening of pulmonary veins to create scarring that blocks irregular electrical signals, which cause arrhythmia. (Banner Health Photo)
(Banner Health Photo)
PHOENIX — A Phoenix hospital is the first in the United States to use an innovative technology to treat patients that suffer from an irregular, abnormally fast heart rate.
Banner University Medical Center Phoenix has started employing the POLARx cryoablation system, a catheter device that uses two different-sized balloons used for a minimally invasive procedure that freezes tissue at the opening of pulmonary veins to create scarring that blocks irregular electrical signals.
The treatment helps patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, an intermittent form of atrial fibrillation that causes the irregular heart rate.
“The new POLARx cryoablation system is yet another breakthrough tool that we are thrilled to take advantage of here at our world-class cardiology center,” Dr. Wilber Su, Banner University Medical Center Phoenix’s electrophysiology director, said in a press release.
RELATED STORIES
“Because of the device’s ability to expand and fit to patients’ different anatomies, we are much better suited to treat these kinds of cases and produce more positive outcomes as a result.”
The system, recently approved by the FDA, makes for more efficient procedures and helps physicians target treatment to necessary areas.
The two balloon sizes let physicians adjust to fit patients’ unique anatomies and eliminate the need to change out devices, which can be time consuming.
Su first utilized the technology in Phoenix, which has been used on more than 25,000 patients across the world.
