Delray Medical Center is the first hospital in Palm Beach County to offer a procedure to treat a patient with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (AFib), using a combination of advanced technology to destroy targeted areas in the heart associated with abnormal heart rhythms and concurrent implantation of a left atrial appendage closure device.

The first minimally invasive surgery at the hospital combining the two treatments in a single procedure was performed by Yoel Vivas, MD, a cardiologist and board-certified clinical cardiac electrophysiologist, who serves as the Director of Delray Medical Center’s Electrophysiology Department.

AFib causes the upper chambers of the heart to beat in an irregular fashion, preventing blood from freely flowing to the lower chambers of the heart. This can cause a blood clot to form in the heart’s top left chamber, typically in the left atrial appendage, which is the small sac in the heart’s muscle wall. If a clot forms and breaks off in the blood stream it can travel to the brain and cause a stroke.

For the procedure at Delray Medical Center, Dr. Vivas used the hospital’s FARAPULSE™ Pulsed Field Ablation System to ablate the patient’s problematic heart tissue and avoid damage to surrounding structures. The system, which received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in January 2024, relies on tissue-selective, non-thermal electric fields to destroy the heart tissue. It is an alternative treatment for AFib to traditional thermal ablation, in which a catheter placed in the interior of the heart generates extreme temperatures – hot or cold – to destroy the targeted areas in the heart.

As part of the same procedure, Dr. Vivas placed an umbrella-shaped device, known as a WATCHMAN™ implant, in the patient’s left atrial appendage through a catheter inserted into a large blood vessel, sealing the opening to this area and preventing blood clot formation. Over time, new heart tissue grows over the implant and permanently seals off the left atrial appendage. The device reduces the risk for clots and may be an alternative to taking blood-thinning medications for patients with non-valvular AFib.

“On behalf of everyone at Delray Medical Center, I congratulate Dr. Vivas for being the first physician in Palm Beach County to perform this advanced concomitant procedure,” said Heather Havericak, the hospital’s CEO. “Dr. Vivas is an outstanding member of our medical staff who shares our commitment to making sure patients in our community have access to these kinds of advanced treatments and medical technology.”

AFib, the most common type of treated heart arrhythmia, affects between 2.7 and 6.1 million Americans, often leading to heart-related complications as well as increasing the risk for stroke fivefold, according to the American Heart Association.

Possible risk factors for AFib include high blood pressure, a prior history of heart attack or heart disease, diabetes, and prior heart surgery. Behaviors that may be associated with higher risk for AFib include excessive alcohol usage, smoking, and prolonged athletic conditioning. Common symptoms include racing, fluttering or palpitating heart, shortness of breath and lightheadedness. Some people who have AFib don't know they have it and have no symptoms.

For more information about atrial fibrillation and different treatment options at Palm Beach Health Network, visit our website.