Specialists from Capital Health's Cardiac Electrophysiology Program, part of its Heart and Vascular Institute, unveiled a new, minimally invasive pulsed field ablation system at the Al Maghazehe Heart and Vascular Center located at Capital Health Regional Medical Center (RMC). The addition of the new system doubles the hospital's capacity to treat atrial fibrillation (AFib) patients who are candidates for ablation. Capital Health was the first to offer this procedure in Mercer and Lower Bucks counties when their Cardiac Electrophysiology team performed its first pulsed field ablation at RMC in March 2025.

"With the incidence of AFib on the rise, greater access to a safe and effective treatment like pulsed field ablation allows us to treat more patients in less time, with fewer complications, and less risk for damage to healthy structures near the targeted site," said Dr. Scott Burke, medical director of Cardiac Electrophysiology and a board-certified, fellowship-trained cardiac electrophysiologist with Capital Health Cardiology Specialists. "The addition of our second pulsed field ablation system immediately doubles our capacity, which will go a long way to improving the well-being of communities across our region."

Atrial fibrillation occurs when the top two chambers of the heart (the atria) beat too fast and with an irregular rhythm. This can decrease the heart's pumping efficiency, leading to a higher risk of stroke, heart failure, and other heart-related complications than those with normal heart rhythms. Traditional radiofrequency ablation, which uses thermal electrical energy to destroy areas in the heart that typically trigger AFib, has the potential to damage to surrounding healthy tissue. The minimally invasive pulsed field technology used by experts in Capital Health's Cardiac Electrophysiology Program allows them to precisely treat the affected cardiac tissue with non-thermal electrical energy with lower risk for harming nearby healthy structures.

Capital Health's Cardiac Electrophysiology team, led by experts from Capital Health Cardiology Specialists, performs procedures like pulsed field ablation at the Al Maghazehe Heart and Vascular Center at RMC. Part of the larger Capital Health Heart and Vascular Institute, the Center's opening in 2025 marked a significant expansion in cardiovascular care for the region with advanced services that include cardiac surgery, open and minimally invasive vascular surgery, cardiac catheterization, cardiac electrophysiology (minimally invasive treatments for irregular heartbeats and other disturbances of the heart rhythm), and structural heart care (minimally invasive treatments for heart valve conditions, atrial septal defects, patent foramen ovale and other structural issues of the heart).

To make an appointment with Capital Health Cardiology Specialists, or to find an office near you, visit capitalhealthcardiology.org.

Visit capitalheartandvascular.org to learn more about Capital Health Heart and Vascular Institute.