A new integrated treatment model combining radiofrequency (RF) and pulsed field (PF) energy
Samsung Medical Center announced that it performed South Korea's first dual energy ablation (DEA) to treat atrial fibrillation on October 7.
DEA is regarded as an advanced arrhythmia treatment that allows physicians to deliver both pulsed field ablation (PFA) and radiofrequency ablation (RFA) through a single catheter. During the procedure, the medical team can choose the energy source best suited to the patient's condition and treatment goals, which makes treatment more flexible.
For example, when ablating areas of the heart wall close to the esophagus or the phrenic nerve, physicians can use PFA, which causes less damage to surrounding tissue. When the heart wall is thicker or energy must reach deeper into the tissue, they can switch to RFA.
"By combining conventional RFA with PFA, which is widely seen as the next generation of arrhythmia treatment, we can now develop more flexible and individualized treatment strategies for our patients," said Dr. Young Keun On, Director of the Arrhythmia Team and Professor of Cardiology at Samsung Medical Center. "We will continue to drive innovation in arrhythmia care and work to provide patients with a better treatment experience."