Seoul National University Hospital succeeded in treating atrial fibrillation with Korea's first three-dimensional pulsed bowel resection
Jan 16, 2025
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Atrial fibrillation is the most common arrhythmia in the world, a condition in which the atrium beats irregularly quickly. As a result, the heart cannot pump blood efficiently, increasing the risk of blood clots and causing serious complications such as stroke and heart failure. Atrial fibrillation is associated with several risk factors such as old age, high blood pressure, and diabetes, and the incidence rate continues to increase in Korea.
Existing high-frequency electrode catheter resection (RFCA) is a standard treatment for atrial fibrillation, but damage and side effects on surrounding normal tissues have been pointed out as problems because it uses thermal energy to destroy tissues. As a result, the need for new treatments has been raised, and pulsed bowel resection (PFA) has begun to attract attention.
Pulse field resection is a nonthermal method that only acts selectively on lesion tissue using an electric field instead of a high frequency. This technology has several advantages over conventional high-frequency electrode catheter resection. Existing electrode catheter resection is a method of burning tissue using high-frequency thermal energy, and has the disadvantage of damaging surrounding tissues such as blood vessels, nerves, and esophagus.
On the other hand, pulsed field resection utilizes the electric field to act only on lesion tissue, minimizing the effect on surrounding tissue, less inflammatory response after the procedure, and shortening the procedure time. Thanks to these characteristics, it is possible for patients to recover quickly after the procedure and reduce the burden on medical staff. It is already widely used in the United States and Europe, and several medical institutions in Korea are continuing their efforts to introduce it.
In particular, 3D pulse field resection is differentiated from conventional pulse field resection. Three-dimensional pulsed field resection is characterized by using three-dimensional imaging technology to check the catheter position in real time and accurately perform resection only on lesion tissue. Compared to conventional pulse field resection using an electric field to remove lesions, three-dimensional pulse field resection allows more precise treatment and further increases the accuracy of treatment.
On the 14th, the arrhythmia team of the Department of Circulatory Medicine at Seoul National University Hospital (Professors Oh Se-il, Choi Ui-geun, Lee So-ryeong, and Ahn Hyo-jung) successfully performed '3D pulse field resection' for the first time in Korea on two patients with atrial fibrillation (a man in his 50s, a woman in her 60s). In this procedure, three-dimensional pulsed field resection has achieved important achievements such as improved accuracy, shorter procedure time, and increased safety. Thanks to the three-dimensional imaging technology, which can check catheter position in real time, it was possible to accurately track catheter position without the use of radiation, thereby minimizing radiation exposure. In particular, the accuracy of treatment was greatly improved by selectively acting only on lesion tissue, minimizing damage to surrounding normal tissue.
In addition, the procedure time was shortened compared to the conventional high-frequency electrode catheter resection, reducing the burden on patients and medical staff. Complications such as bleeding and thrombus formation did not occur after the procedure, and the patients were able to recover quickly. Three-dimensional imaging technology is considered to have contributed to minimizing the amount of radiation exposed to patients and reducing side effects, thereby greatly increasing safety.
Professor Choi Eui-geun said, "Three-dimensional pulse field resection is a technology that has made important progress in the treatment of atrial fibrillation, and it will provide practical benefits to patients by providing safer and more efficient treatment methods. After the procedure, continuous monitoring and management tailored to the individual patient's condition is required, and based on the safety and accuracy of this procedure, we will continue to lead and improve the quality of atrial fibrillation treatment."
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This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
