Austin, Texas – September 7, 2026 -- The Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute (TCAI) at St. David's Medical Center has become the first center in the United States to enroll a patient in a clinical trial evaluating a next-generation pulsed field ablation mapping and ablation system for paroxysmal and persistent atrial fibrillation.
TCAI performs first US procedure under global trial protocol
Andrea Natale, M.D., executive medical director of TCAI and global principal investigator for the trial, performed the inaugural procedure. The study is designed to assess the safety and efficacy of the catheter-based system in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, defined as symptomatic episodes lasting seven days or less, and persistent atrial fibrillation, sustained arrhythmia lasting longer than one week.
System uses electrical fields instead of extreme heat or cold to ablate tissue
The novel catheter relies on pulsed electrical fields to destroy targeted cardiac tissue, avoiding the extreme heat or cold used in conventional ablation techniques that can damage surrounding cardiac structures. The device integrates 3D cardiac mapping technology that gives physicians a detailed view of the heart's electrical activity and allows visualization of catheter position and tissue contact both before and after energy delivery.
Early treatment targets stroke and heart failure risk reduction
Untreated atrial fibrillation, which occurs when the heart's upper chambers beat too fast and irregularly, raises the risk of blood clots, stroke and heart failure, and can progress to a permanent condition if left untreated. Early intervention in paroxysmal and persistent cases is intended to reduce these downstream risks.
Natale said pulsed field ablation represents one of the most significant advances in electrophysiology in decades and that the trial will help physicians worldwide better understand the technology's safety and efficacy profile.
TCAI operates six electrophysiology labs handling high-complexity procedure volumes
TCAI runs six labs equipped with advanced electrophysiology technology, where a team of electrophysiologists performs a high volume of complex arrhythmia procedures.