UPMC Heart and Vascular Institute in Williamsport Offers Pulsed Field Ablation to Treat Atrial Fibrillation
May 8, 2026
Electrophysiologists at the UPMC Heart and Vascular Institute in Williamsport now offer pulsed field ablation (PFA), a minimally invasive treatment option for atrial fibrillation (AFib).
“AFib is a complex rhythm disorder and is the most common abnormal heart rhythm we see in our practice,” explains Suppiramaniam Sreeharikesan, MD, an electrophysiologist at the UPMC Heart and Vascular Institute. “Adding this new procedure advances the level of heart care in the region. Studies have shown PFA can decrease the risk of complications compared with other kinds of ablation, and we know there are patients who will directly benefit from it here in the community.”
PFA uses short bursts of electrical energy delivered through a specially designed catheter to target and destroy the specific heart tissue causing the irregular heartbeat. The short pulses of high-energy electricity create small holes in the cell membrane of the targeted tissue, leading to cell death. The electrical pulses are more specifically targeted, so there is a lower risk of damaging nearby structures, such as the esophagus and phrenic nerve, compared to traditional catheter ablation.
“We know patients want to be in the hospital for as short of a stay as possible. An added benefit of PFAs is that they are generally same-day procedures,” says Dr. Sreeharikesan. “The length of the procedure can vary depending on factors like the size of a patient’s heart chambers and their specific type of AFib. However, most PFA procedures last between one and two hours and require a few additional hours of recovery observation. If a patient is cleared, they are discharged to recover at home. Most patients can then return to their normal routine one week after the procedure.”
About the UPMC Heart and Vascular Institute
As the largest integrated adult and pediatric cardiology and cardiac surgery program in Pennsylvania, the UPMC Heart and Vascular Institute is a premier destination for adult cardiac surgery, interventional cardiology, pediatric cardiology and cardiac surgery, treatment and management of adult congenital heart disease, vascular surgery, and more.
With more than 60 locations in three states, the expertise of the UPMC Heart and Vascular Institute is available to you and your patients. We are committed to partnering with you on consultations, second opinions, and diagnosis and treatment for the continuum of cardiovascular conditions.
To learn more about the UPMC Heart and Vascular Institute, or to refer a patient, email HVIReferral@upmc.edu.
