Islamabad: Thousands of Pakistanis living with atrial fibrillation (AF), the most common irregular heartbeat that greatly increases the risk of stroke and heart failure, will soon have access to one of the world’s latest and safest treatments as the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) prepares to launch the country’s first public-sector Pulsed Field Ablation (PFA) programme on July 7.
The state-of-the-art treatment will be performed using Boston Scientific’s Farapulse™ Pulsed Field Ablation system, introduced in Pakistan through Ferozsons Laboratories Limited, making PIMS the first public-sector hospital in the country to offer the latest generation of catheter ablation technology for patients suffering from atrial fibrillation and other complex heart rhythm disorders.
Prof Dr Akhtar Bandesha, Project Director, PIMS, said the introduction of the technology marked another major step in strengthening specialised cardiac services at the country’s largest public-sector tertiary care hospital.
He said the project was supported under the Federal Government’s Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) and would provide Pakistani patients access to one of the world’s most advanced treatments without having to travel abroad.
Training of doctors, nurses and catheterisation laboratory staff is currently underway at the PIMS Cardiac Centre with the support of experts associated with the technology. The first patient is scheduled to undergo the procedure on July 7, formally marking the launch of Pakistan’s first public-sector Pulsed Field Ablation programme.
Speaking about the initiative, Professor Brig Dr Azmat Hayat, former Head of Cardiac Electrophysiology at the Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology (AFIC) and currently Head of Cardiac Electrophysiology at the PIMS Cardiac Centre, described the launch as a landmark development for cardiac care in Pakistan.
He said atrial fibrillation is the most common sustained heart rhythm disorder worldwide and one of the leading causes of stroke and heart failure.
“It is not just an irregular heartbeat. If left untreated, it can lead to stroke, heart failure, repeated hospital admissions and even premature death,” he said.
Prof Hayat said an estimated three to five million Pakistanis could be living with atrial fibrillation, while many remain undiagnosed or receive treatment only after developing serious complications.
He said nearly every third or fourth patient presenting with cardiovascular disease is found to have atrial fibrillation or another clinically significant heart rhythm disorder requiring specialised electrophysiology assessment and treatment.
According to him, catheter ablation has become the most effective treatment for restoring a normal heart rhythm in suitable patients. Conventional ablation destroys abnormal heart tissue using radiofrequency energy (heat) or cryotherapy (freezing), whereas the newly introduced Pulsed Field Ablation technology uses ultra-short electrical pulses to selectively eliminate abnormal heart muscle cells while preserving surrounding healthy tissues.
“This technology offers an excellent safety profile and very high efficacy. In appropriately selected patients, the success rate approaches 99 percent, while significantly reducing complications associated with conventional thermal ablation,” Prof Hayat said.
He explained that the Farapulse system substantially reduces the risk of injury to the oesophagus, phrenic nerve and pulmonary veins, which are among the most feared complications of conventional thermal ablation. The shorter procedure time would also allow doctors to treat more patients using the existing catheterisation laboratory facilities, reducing waiting times for patients.
Prof Hayat appreciated the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination, the PIMS administration and hospital management for providing the financial resources, infrastructure and trained human resource required to establish cardiac electrophysiology services at PIMS and launch Pakistan’s first public-sector Pulsed Field Ablation programme.
He also acknowledged Boston Scientific for developing the Farapulse technology and Ferozsons Laboratories Limited for introducing the latest electrophysiology platform in Pakistan. He said the collaboration had enabled Pakistani patients to benefit from one of the world’s most advanced treatments for atrial fibrillation and other complex cardiac arrhythmias.
According to experts, atrial fibrillation is estimated to increase the risk of stroke nearly five-fold and heart failure almost three-fold. Wider availability of Pulsed Field Ablation is expected to improve patients’ quality of life, reduce complications associated with the disease and lessen the need for many Pakistanis to seek expensive treatment abroad.
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