Today, Tuesday, April 16, 2024, the first FARAPULSE™ procedure was performed by Cardiologist Jagroop S. Basraon, DO, of The Heart Group. After a successful first procedure, Dr. Basraon went on to treat two more patients using the new technology.
During a traditional ablation procedure, a catheter is guided into the heart and produces either extremely hot or cold temperatures to destroy targeted areas of the heart that are causing abnormal heart rhythms like atrial fibrillation. FARAPULSE™ utilizes cardiac tissue-selective, non-thermal electric fields to ablate targeted tissues.
“Before, with ablation, we would cauterize the tissue and then freeze it,” says Dr. Basraon. “So, this is really the next generation of technology.” Since cardiac tissue has a lower damage threshold than the surrounding muscle and nerve cells, the ultra-rapid electrical pulses emitted by the FARAPULSE™ device only affect cardiac cells, which eliminates the risk of collateral injury often seen with traditional thermal ablation.
“Often larger cities are the first sites to get special equipment, but thanks to senior leadership here at Saint Agnes, we were able to expedite things and get the technology within a month of the approval from the FDA,” says Dr. Basraon.
“Saint Agnes prides itself on being a leader in cardiovascular services in the Central Valley and has a long history of introducing the most advanced procedures for patients to achieve better outcomes,” says John Evanko, MD, Saint Agnes Chief Medical Officer.
“We applaud and congratulate Dr. Basraon for introducing this innovative procedure to Saint Agnes and the Valley.”
