MercyOne announced it recently became the first hospital in Iowa to use a revolutionary new system to treat atrial fibrillation (Afib).
On Wednesday, Nov. 12, Mark Shen, MD, a board-certified cardiac electrophysiologist and cardiologist with Cardiovascular Medicine, PLLC, performed the state’s first procedure using the Affera Mapping and Ablation System with the Sphere-9 Catheter at MercyOne Genesis Davenport Medical Center.
AFib is a progressive disease where the heart’s upper chambers beat out of rhythm, preventing efficient blood pumping. It is the most common atrial arrhythmia, affecting nearly 60 million people worldwide, and is associated with serious complications, including heart failure, stroke and increased risk of death.
“The Sphere-9 catheter enables physicians to map, ablate, and validate using a single device, enhancing the safety of ablation procedures for our patients,” Dr. Shen said in a news release. “This technology will improve and speed up our ability to treat patients suffering from AFib.”
The Affera Mapping and Ablation System with Sphere-9 Catheter is an all-in-one high-density mapping and dual-energy ablation catheter designed to treat persistent AFib and atrial flutter. It allows physicians to customize treatment based on a patient’s needs using various energy sources and mapping capabilities to correct rapid, abnormal heart rhythms.
The technology was recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Clinical trials showed that patients treated with the Sphere-9 catheter reported improvements in both mental and physical quality of life.
