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Edited by: TJVNews.com
Northwell Lenox Hill Hospital is the first on the East Coast to commercially treat atrial fibrillation (AFib) with an FDA approved pulsed electric field ablation device. Stavros Mountantonakis, MD, cardiac electrophysiologist at Lenox Hill Hospital, used the breakthrough technology by Medtronic PulseSelect to treat a 77-year-old male who had paroxysmal AFib, a form of arrhythmia where the heart beats fast and irregularly for periods of time. The device reduces ablation surgery time by at least 20 minutes when compared to traditional thermal ablations, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The device interrupts irregular electrical pathways in the heart via a catheter that delivers electric pulses in lieu of traditional extreme cold or heat which, in some cases, can lead to the damage of anatomical structures near the ablation site.
“I have performed this novel approach to cardiac ablations many times in clinical trials and I continue to be impressed by its speed and efficacy,” Dr. Mountantonakis said. “Cardiologists and patients with atrial fibrillation alike, have long awaited this technology to become commercially available and I am thrilled to offer it to our patients.”
Dr. Mountantonakis performed the procedure on Robert Somerville, a retired police detective, who received a Purple Heart in the Vietnam War. In August 2023, Somerville had a stroke, a common result of untreated AFib. Initial symptoms often include dizziness, light palpitations, and fatigue, which are often relatively minor and go unnoticed until a serious medical event occurs. After the stroke, Somerville was fitted with an event monitor, which helped doctors diagnose his paroxysmal AFib, a precursor to persistent AFib. He underwent a successful hour-and-a-half long surgery and was hospitalized for one night for monitoring.
“This makes a huge difference for me. I’d like to get back to working out more which I felt uncomfortable doing before,” said Somerville after the procedure. “I also want to spend more time with my wife and go and see my grandkids play sports.”
Atrial fibrillation is the most common form of heart arrhythmia in the United States, affecting approximately 2.7 million people, according to the NIH. Instances of the disease are increasing by an estimated 160,000 new cases every year. AFib is blamed for one in seven strokes, according to the CDC. Common risk factors of AFib are advancing age, high blood pressure, obesity, European ancestry, smoking and alcohol use.
Lenox Hill Hospital is world-renowned for successful cardiac outcomes, partly because of the use of novel technologies like Medtronic PulseSelect. Healthgrades ranked the medical facility among the top five in the state for cardiac care and coronary intervention. It has also named the hospital among Americas 100 Best Hospitals for Cardiac Care™ for 11 years in a row – the only hospital in New York State to get the designation – and America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Coronary Intervention™ for 13 years in a row.
New York State Department of Health ranked Lenox Hill among New York State’s best hospitals for cardiac surgery and percutaneous coronary interventions. It also earned the prestigious double asterisk in the surgical category of isolated coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) or valve, or valve/CABG. The facility was also the only hospital in New York State to receive the DOH’s prestigious double asterisk for TAVR.
