Dignity Health Sequoia Hospital Performs Revolutionary Heart Procedure

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. (March 12, 2024) – Dignity Health Sequoia Hospital performed its  first Pulsed Field Ablation (PFA) last week, becoming one of the few hospitals in the nation to  perform this procedure and the first in Northern California to use the FARAPULSE™ Pulsed  Field Ablation System (PFA), recently approved by the FDA in late 2023. Set to revolutionize  atrial fibrillation treatment, PFA heralds a paradigm shift. Departing from conventional  radiofrequency or cryoablation methods, PFA harnesses high-amplitude pulsed electric fields,  providing unprecedented safety and efficiency.  

The first procedure was performed by Dr. Gregory Engel, Electrophysiologist at Sequoia  Hospital. “The first case went extremely well, and the patient went home later in the afternoon,”  said Dr. Gregory Engel. “The whole team at Sequoia was thrilled to be part of this momentous  day.” Drs. Chad Brodt, Shadi Kalantarian, Rob Patrawala and Jon Salcedo, also  Electrophysiologists at Sequoia Hospital, will also be performing procedures with the new PFA  technology soon. 

“We have always strived to maximize the safety and efficacy of treating atrial fibrillation,”  added Dr. Engel. “We have tracked our results, analyzed and published our data and used that  information to gradually make improvements in our technique over many years. PFA now allows  us to take the next leap forward, maximizing the safety and efficacy of atrial fibrillation  treatment. We are excited to be able to offer this new technology to our patients.” 

Atrial fibrillation, also called AFib or AF, is the most common type of heart arrhythmia. An  arrhythmia is when the heart beats too slowly, too fast, or in an irregular way with the potential  to cause poor blood flow. According to the Centers for Disease Control, AFib contributes to as  many as 158,000 deaths each year and it is estimated that more than 12 million people will have  AFib in the United States by 2030. If untreated, AFib patients have a five times greater chance of  developing a stroke (AFib causes about 1 in 7 strokes) and also have an increased risk of developing heart failure and dementia. PFA decreases the risk of complications that exist with  current ablation strategies. In addition, the improved efficiency of PFA also reduces anesthesia  as patients can spend up to 45 minutes less under anesthetics when treated with PFA.  Collectively, these improvements are believed to revolutionize the treatment of AFib globally.

“Sequoia Hospital is breaking new ground in cardiac treatment, pioneering a leap forward in  patient care,” said Bill Graham, President, Sequoia Hospital. “We are standing at the forefront of  innovation, reshaping the landscape of cardiac procedures and building a healthier tomorrow,  beat by beat.”  

In December 2023, Sequoia Hospital became the first in the state of California and Western  United States to implant a novel extravascular defibrillator to treat patients with dangerously fast  heart rhythms, a condition that can lead to sudden cardiac arrest. This procedure was also  performed by Dr. Gregory Engel and Dr. Chad Brodt.  

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About Dignity Health 

Dignity Health is a multi-state nonprofit network of 10,000 physicians, more than 60,000 employees, 41 acute care hospitals, and 400-plus care centers, including community hospitals, urgent care, surgery and imaging centers, home health, and primary care clinics in Arizona, California,  and Nevada. Dignity Health is dedicated to providing compassionate, high-quality, and affordable patient-centered care with special attention to  the poor and underserved. Dignity Health is a part of CommonSpirit Health, a nonprofit health system committed to advancing health for all  people and dedicated to serving the common good. For more information, please visit our website at www.DignityHealth.org.