New Treatment Option for AFib Now Available at UnityPoint Health

UnityPoint Health is proud to announce a new treatment option for patients with atrial fibrillation (AFib).

Electrophysiologists at UnityPoint Health are some of the first in the nation to use a new pulsed field ablation system to treat AFib, which is one of the most treated heart rhythm disorders in the United States. Pulsed field ablation uses high-energy electrical pulses to ablate the heart tissue causing irregular heart rhythms without using excess heat or cold, which has the potential to damage surrounding tissue.

The new pulsed field ablation treatment option for AFib is currently available at Trinity Heart Center in Rock Island, Ill. and Iowa Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines, Iowa. It will be available at other UnityPoint Health facilities later this year, including Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in June.

AFib occurs when the top two chambers of the heart beat too fast and with an irregular rhythm which can decrease the heart’s pumping efficiency. Symptoms may include fatigue, heart palpitations, trouble breathing and dizziness. Untreated AFib can lead to a stroke.

Patients with AFib should discuss the field ablation treatment option with their cardiologist. Patients in the Quad Cities area can call the Trinity Heart Center at (309) 779-5340. Patients in central Iowa can call UnityPoint Health - Des Moines Cardiology at (515) 241-5700.