A 63-year-old Frederick man became the first patient this week to receive a new treatment for atrial fibrillation at UC Health Medical Center of the Rockies.

Dr. Amar Trivedi, a UCHealth clinical cardiac electrophysiologist, performed the first pulsed-field ablation on Kelly Pabst of Frederick on Tuesday at the UCHealth Medical Center of the Rockies in Loveland, according to a UCHealth news release.

The hospital became one of the first hospitals in the country to offer pulsed field ablation and is now leading the way in treating common heart rhythm disorders.

Atrial fibrillation, the most common type of cardiac arrhythmia treated, occurs when the upper and lower ventricles of the heart are not coordinated, causing the heart to beat too slowly, too fast, or irregularly. . The condition can lead to blood clots that can lead to heart failure and stroke, the release states.

Atrial fibrillation affects up to 6.1 million Americans. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention predicts that number will soar to more than 12 million by 2030.

“It has become an epidemic,” Trivedi said. “Therefore, finding safe, effective and efficient treatment solutions is critical.”

For more than 20 years, traditional ablation procedures have relied on thermal radiofrequency heat to destroy areas of heart tissue that cause irregular heartbeats and restore a regular rhythm. This approach carried the risk of damaging tissue surrounding the heart.

The new pulse procedure instead uses a series of electrical pulses to isolate the pulmonary veins and destroy tissue debris that causes atrial fibrillation. UCHealth says the treatment reduces patient risk and surgery time.

This treatment type reduces the risk of damage to collateral heart structures due to lack of thermal energy. Trivedi predicts this energy source will become the first-line method of controlling atrial fibrillation.

Pulsed field ablation is effective for people with symptoms of atrial fibrillation, such as irregular heartbeat, palpitations, lightheadedness, extreme fatigue, shortness of breath, and chest pain. Many of these patients are experiencing fatigue, sluggishness and weakness, and are unable to play with their children or grandchildren, the statement said.

Patients who undergo pulsed field ablation report feeling better within a few days of the procedure.

“The most common thing I hear after ablation is that I feel calmer,” Trivedi said. “That’s how they describe it.”

The Food and Drug Administration recently approved two pulsed-field ablation systems. The Rockies team medical center uses the Medtronic PulseSelect pulse-field ablation system, which was approved in December.

The hospital also played a key role in evaluating the Medtronic system through its participation in a clinical trial three years ago, the release states.

Robert Wagner, senior director of UCHealth Cardiovascular Services in Northern Colorado, called pulsed-field ablation the most exciting new technology in the world of electrophysiology in more than a decade.

“We are honored to bring this groundbreaking technology to Colorado and serve patients across the Rocky Mountains,” Wagner said.