Trident Medical Center participates in national A-fib clinical trial

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - Part of a nationwide trial to treat patients with the most common form of heart arrhythmia is happening in the Lowcountry.

The trial will focus on Atrial fibrillation, a condition in which the heart beats too slow, too fast or in an irregular way.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says about 12.1 million people in the U.S. will have A-fib in 2030, making it is a very common condition.

Part of that trial is taking place in the Lowcountry at Trident Medical Center.

Dr. Frank Cuoco is the electrophysiologist leading the study at Trident. He’s the only physician in North and South Carolina participating in this clinical trial.

Cuoco says the typical procedure for cardiac ablation to treat A-fib, uses heat and freezing techniques, and takes around two to four hours to complete.

This trial is investigating a new method to achieve the same result, which is correcting an irregular heartbeat.

Cuoco explains that the new method would use an alternative energy source and can better target the heart muscles, while avoiding the structures around it.

“A-fib is so prominent and such a prevalent disease that everyone is working on a solution for it, and this new type of ablation called Pulsed Field Ablation, or PFA, is really where a lot of the focus has been,” Cuoco said.

If approved by the FDA, Cuoco says the new treatment would not only be safer, but it would reduce procedure time to about 30 to 40 minutes.

If you have A-fib, you could potentially qualify for this study or a similar one.

Contact Daniel.Kuraska@hcahealthcare.com to set up a screening.

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