John Hawkins, MD
When retired interventional cardiologist John Hawkins, MD, started experiencing atrial fibrillation (AFib) symptoms last year, he knew firsthand what that could mean.
As someone who had seen the complications of heart procedures during his own career, Dr. Hawkins was concerned about the potential risks of ablation.
Still, he also knew that AFib — a potentially serious condition marked by an irregular, often rapid heartbeat — needed timely treatment to prevent complications such as blood clots, stroke and heart failure.
Dr. An Barry Bui, cardiac electrophysiologist at Bon Secours St. Mary’s Hospital
Ablation is a common treatment option for patients with atrial fibrillation. “The prior standard of care for AFib ablation has always been the use of thermal energy through cryoablation, or freezing, or radiofrequency ablation with heat,” said Dr. An Barry Bui, cardiac electrophysiologist at Bon Secours St. Mary’s Hospital. Dr. Bui also serves as the director of cardiac electrophysiology for Bon Secours Richmond.
With the introduction of pulsed-field ablation, patients can have a non-thermal form of ablation. This technology delivers pulsed electrical fields through an ablation catheter to selectively target cardiac cells to interrupt irregular electrical pathways in the heart that trigger AFib.
A patient’s perspective
In February of 2024, Bon Secours St. Mary’s Hospital in Richmond became the first hospital in the Commonwealth of Virginia to offer pulsed-field ablation, or PFA.
“I was excited for the new technique that Bon Secours has embraced,” Dr. Hawkins said. “PFA appears to have less potential for some of the more serious side effects of ablation. That meant a lower risk and potentially better long-term outcome for me.”
John Hawkins, MD
Since having the procedure, Dr. Hawkins has not suffered any recurrence of his AFib. He’s back to living his active retirement lifestyle.
“In the summer we are into water sports, boating, fishing, sailing and kayaking,” he said. “I play pickleball three days a week and go mountain biking. And we are very involved in the community. We remain very active.”
What is atrial fibrillation, or AFib?
AFib is the most common type of heart arrhythmia, projected to affect more than 12 million people in the U.S. by 2030. Because the upper chambers of the heart (the atria) beat irregularly, they don’t pump enough blood forward. Blood pools in the atria, increasing the risk of dangerous clots and strokes. Progression of AFib is associated with a higher risk of heart-related death and increases the chance of stroke five-fold, according to the American Heart Association.
A bright future for AFib care
Pulsed-field ablation, a breakthrough treatment for AFib, is available at Bon Secours St. Mary’s Hospital in Richmond and Bon Secours Memorial Regional Medical Center in Mechanicsville.
“It’s exciting to have more options to treat our patients,” said Dr. Bui. “Access to the latest innovation in cardiac care allows us to continue to promote safety and medical excellence in the Richmond region and beyond.”
If you or someone you know has AFib, learn more about treatment options by visiting bonsecours.com/richmond-afib.
