Arrhythmia specialists at University of Iowa Health Care Heart and Vascular Center recently performed their 800th procedure using the Farapulse™ pulsed field ablation system — a new, advanced treatment for atrial fibrillation (Afib).

Afib is the most common type of irregular heartbeat and can lead to stroke and heart failure. Traditional treatments involve using extreme heat or cold to destroy misfiring cells, which can be more invasive, time-consuming, and damaging to surrounding healthy tissue.

Pulsed field ablation uses gentle electrical pulses to precisely treat the heart cells causing Afib without damaging nearby healthy tissue. This means more streamlined procedures, quicker recovery, and fewer risks, especially for patients with other heart conditions.

“Pulsed field ablation offers a safe, efficient, and effective treatment option for patients with atrial fibrillation, while significantly cutting down the procedural times,” says Paari Dominic, MBBS, MPH, director of cardiac electrophysiology at UI Health Care. 

The technology was developed by UI cardiologist Steven Mickelsen, MD, during his time at the UI’s Abboud Cardiovascular Research Center. In 2012, he founded Farapulse Inc. (originally known as Iowa Approach), a startup focused on improving Afib treatment.  

The company was acquired by Boston Scientific in 2021, and the technology received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval in January 2024. Mickelsen is now a professor emeritus in the UI Department of Internal Medicine and CEO of Field Medical Inc., a California-based cardiac ablation technology firm he established in 2022.  

While UI Health Care was the first to offer this technology, pulsed field ablation is now used by hospitals around the world.  

UI Health Care’s cardiac electrophysiology team is recognized as one of the most experienced in the state when it comes to diagnosing and treating complex and rare heart rhythm disorders.