HOUSTON, TX (March 20, 2024) - Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center is the first hospital in the Texas Medical Center to treat patients with the new Medtronic PulseSelect™ Pulsed Field Ablation (PFA) System that uses PFA – a breakthrough technology that uses pulsed electric fields to treat atrial fibrillation (AF) – for the treatment of patients with paroxysmal or persistent AF. Recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the PulseSelect PFA system effectively, efficiently, and safely treats both paroxysmal and persistent atrial fibrillation.

AF is a progressive condition that affects more than 59 million people worldwide. Without early intervention, AF can progress, becoming more sustained over time. Progression of AF is associated with a higher rate of cardiovascular hospital admissions, heart failure, and mortality, along with a reduced quality of life.

“With a renowned legacy of advancing heart care, Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center continues to deliver the latest and most innovative cardiovascular treatments available,” said Brad Lembcke, MD, president of Baylor St. Luke’s. “We are pleased to be the first in the Texas Medical Center to treat patients with this new atrial fibrillation technology in alignment with the experts of Baylor College of Medicine and The Texas Heart Institute.”

The PulseSelect PFA system delivers pulsed electric fields through an ablation catheter designed specifically to interrupt irregular electrical pathways in the heart that trigger AF. Current ablation technologies rely on thermal effects to target cardiac tissue and risk damage to additional collateral structures in the heart. PFA is a breakthrough ablation technology that uses pulsed electric fields to efficiently isolate the pulmonary veins for the treatment of AF. Because the mechanism of cell death is non-thermal, the risk of collateral structure damage is potentially lower.

About Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center

Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center is an 881-bed quaternary care academic medical center that is a joint venture between Baylor College of Medicine and St. Luke’s Health. Located in the Texas Medical Center, the hospital is the home of the Texas Heart Institute, a cardiovascular research and education institution founded in 1962 by Denton A. Cooley, MD. The hospital was the first in Texas and the Southwest designated a Magnet Recognition Program hospital for Nursing Excellence by the American Nurses Credentialing Center, receiving the award five consecutive times. Baylor St. Luke’s also has three community emergency centers offering adult and pediatric care for the Greater Houston area.