Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute joins U.S. trial of atrial fibrillation system

The Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute at St. David's Medical Center says it became the first U.S. site in a clinical trial of a mapping and pulsed field ablation system for atrial fibrillation.

The institute said in a Sept. 2, 2026, press release that it joined the trial in Austin, Texas. The study is evaluating the safety and effectiveness of the system in patients with paroxysmal and persistent atrial fibrillation, and Andrea Natale, the institute's executive medical director and the trial's global principal investigator, performed the first procedure.

Atrial fibrillation, often called AFib, is described in the release as the most common type of arrhythmia and a condition that affects millions of people globally. The company said early treatment can help reduce the risk of blood clots, stroke and heart failure, and may help keep the disease from becoming permanent.

According to the release, paroxysmal atrial fibrillation means symptoms last seven days or fewer, while persistent atrial fibrillation lasts more than a week. The trial system uses electric fields to ablate, or destroy, targeted heart tissue instead of the excess heat or cold used in traditional ablation, and it includes 3D cardiac mapping that shows the heart's electrical activity and catheter position before and after energy delivery.

The release also said the mapping can help physicians visualize catheter position and tissue contact during the procedure. It described TCAI as a state-of-the-art electrophysiology center with six labs and a group of cardiac electrophysiologists who perform a high volume of complex procedures.

The release did not provide a timeline for enrollment or broader trial results. It said only that the first procedure has been completed.

Sources

• PR Newswire release, Sept. 2, 2026

Editorial note: This article was prepared with AI assistance and includes source attribution for reader review.