Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute at St. David’s Medical Center First in U.S. to Use FDA-Approved Mapping and Dual Energy Ablation Catheter

Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute Press Release

AUSTIN, Texas—Electrophysiologists at the Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute (TCAI) at St. David’s Medical Center recently became the first in the nation to use an all-in-one high-density mapping and dual energy ablation catheter for the treatment of persistent atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter, heart arrhythmias that affect millions of people worldwide, after receiving approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The sphere-shaped catheter allows physicians to deliver energy to a specific area of the heart and map the patient’s heart at the same time. 
 
The first procedure was performed by Andrea Natale, M.D., F.H.R.S., F.A.C.C., F.E.S.C., cardiac electrophysiologist and executive medical director of TCAI, and Amin Al-Ahmad, M.D., clinical cardiac electrophysiologist, on Nov. 7, 2024. Dr. Natale also participated in the trial that led to FDA approval.  
 
“This all-in-one, first-of-its-kind catheter allows physicians to map, ablate and validate all with a single catheter, enhancing workflow flexibility and efficiency, ultimately enabling greater safety and efficacy,” Dr. Natale said. “As global innovation for the treatment of heart arrhythmias continues to advance, the Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute is grateful to be leading the way for patients in Central Texas and beyond.” 
 
The novel system allows physicians to customize treatment based on a patient’s needs during an ablation procedure, using either a pulsed field or radiofrequency energy delivery, while providing mapping capabilities to correct fast, abnormal heart rhythms. 
 
Pulsed field ablation is a non-thermal ablation that delivers short-duration, high-energy electrical pulses to the cardiac tissue to destroy cells that cause irregular heart rhythms without excess heat or cold, while radiofrequency ablation uses thermal energy (heat and cold) to destroy the cells that cause irregular heart rhythms. 
 
Earlier this year, TCAI conducted the first cases in the country for both of the pulsed field ablation catheters that were commercially approved. 
 
TCAI is a state-of-the-art Electrophysiology Center that includes six labs equipped with advanced technology where a group of renowned cardiac electrophysiologists perform a high volume of the most complex electrophysiology procedures. 
 
Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute
Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute (TCAI) at St. David’s Medical Center is one of the world’s preeminent centers dedicated to the latest treatment advances for correcting abnormal heart rhythms such as Atrial Fibrillation (A Fib) and Ventricular Tachycardias (VT). The center is led by Executive Medical Director Andrea Natale, M.D., F.H.R.S., F.A.C.C., F.E.S.C., a world-renowned expert in the field. Dr. Natale is at the forefront of advancing treatment options for A Fib and VT, leading numerous clinical trials and participating in the development of new technologies and procedures. 

St. David’s Medical Center
St. David’s Medical Center, part of St. David’s HealthCare, is a full-service medical center offering comprehensive medical care at three locations—St. David’s Medical Center, Heart Hospital of Austin and St. David’s Georgetown Hospital.

Located in Central Austin, St. David’s Medical Center includes a 371-bed acute care hospital and a 64-bed rehabilitation hospital providing comprehensive inpatient and outpatient care. The hospital provides a complete range of women’s services, including its acclaimed maternity unit, maternal-fetal medicine, a high-risk maternal and neonatal transport team, the region’s largest Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, and comprehensive breast imaging services operated through on-site provider Solis Mammography. St. David’s Medical Center also has a comprehensive Bariatric Surgery Center and a 24-hour emergency department, and it is home to the Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute.