Atrium Health Navicent Offers Hope for Patients Living with Common Heart Rhythm Disorder

Atrial fibrillation (AFib) affects more than 59 million people worldwide — and that number is rising. It’s the most common heart rhythm disorder, yet many people don’t know they have it until they experience a life-altering event like a stroke or heart failure.

That’s why physicians at Atrium Health Navicent invite the community to join them in celebrating World Heart Day on Monday, Sept. 29. World Heart Day is an opportunity to raise awareness, inspire action and celebrate heart health. It’s also a chance to learn more about AFib.

“AFib is a silent epidemic,” said Atrium Health Navicent Chief Medical Officer Dr. Patrice Walker. “It causes the upper chambers of the heart to beat irregularly and inefficiently, leading to fatigue, shortness of breath, and — most dangerously — the formation of blood clots that can travel to the brain.”

In fact, AFib increases a person’s risk of stroke fivefold and significantly raises the risk of developing congestive heart failure. It also impairs quality of life, especially when symptoms like palpitations, dizziness and fatigue interfere with daily activity.

But there’s good news. With early diagnosis and the right care, AFib can be managed — and even eliminated — using advanced treatment options.

A New Era of Treatment: Pulsed Field Ablation

One of the most significant advances in AFib treatment in recent years is Pulsed Field Ablation (PFA), a new, non-thermal technique that uses electrical fields to safely and precisely eliminate the heart tissue causing abnormal rhythms.

Last year, Atrium Heath Navicent The Medical Center became the first hospital in Georgia to offer Farapulse with Opal for PFA. This year, Georgia’s first Faraview Opal mapping procedure was performed at Atrium Health Navicent The Medical Center, utilizing software that gives surgeons the option to ablate and map during ablation therapy.

Unlike traditional ablation, PFA significantly reduces the risk of serious complications and the procedure is also faster and less invasive, which means patients recover more quickly — often going home the same day. But the benefits go well beyond recovery. By using safer, more targeted energy, PFA enables earlier treatment for more patients, which may help prevent AFib from progressing to a more permanent form.

“PFA is a game-changer,” Walker said. “It allows us to treat AFib with greater precision, targeting only the heart tissue responsible for the arrhythmia. Patients treated with PFA are more likely to get better results, with better control of their AFib and fewer medications. With treatment available right here in central Georgia, this means a faster return to work, family and life without the daily impact of AFib symptoms.”

Atrium Health Navicent The Medical Center has received the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines® - AFib Gold quality achievement award for five consecutive years. For more information about cardiac services, or to find a doctor, please visit www.NavicentHealth.org