Caldwell hospital introduces innovative cardiac treatment

What’s being haled as a major milestone in electrophysiology is jumpstarting the leap forward in treatment for certain heart conditions in Caldwell.

The West Valley Medical Center‘s cardiac services team recently introduced its use of an innovative technology that helps treat atrial fibrillation.

Dr. Richard Augustus, the hospital’s chief medical officer said that adoption of the technology will help save lives.

“The innovative procedure represents a promising leap forward in the treatment of irregular heart rhythms,” he said. “This reflects our commitment to adopting solutions to enhance patient care and outcomes.”

The new treatment system approved FDA approval in January of last year and differs from previous treatment methods, the hospital stated. The new system “employs tissue-selective, non-thermal electric fields to achieve ablation,” West Valley stated in a release, whereas “traditional ablation procedures involve guiding a catheter to the heart’s interior, where extreme temperatures — either hot or cold — are used to destroy targeted areas responsible for abnormal heart rhythms.”

Traditional methods are effective, the hospital stated, but can sometimes damage the surrounding cardiac structures, which could pose additional risks.

“This new technology significantly reduces the risk of collateral damage to surrounding heart tissues, offering a safer and more precise alternative to traditional methods,” said Dr. Karl Undesser, the cardiologist at the hospital. “We are excited about the future possibilities this technology holds for our patients and the field of electrophysiology.”