“Despite significant advances in our understanding of atrial fibrillation (AF) mechanisms in the last 15 years, ablation outcomes remain suboptimal.” However, a new treatment called Focal Impulse & Rotor Modulation (FIRM) ablation “has been shown to improve ablation outcome[s] compared with conventional ablation alone.” (Journal of Thoracic Disease)

Sanjiv Narayan, MD, PhD, a cardiac electrophysiologist and professor of cardiac medicine at Stanford University Medical Center, is the lead pioneer behind FIRM ablation. This procedure transcends typical ablation treatments by mapping patient-specific electrical impulses in the heart. Dr. Narayan helped create the patented algorithm responsible for this complex mapping process. Creating a custom map of each heart’s unique electrical impulse activity allows cardiologists to perform FIRM ablation procedures that cause less destruction to atrial tissues than traditional ablation techniques.

Click here to learn more about FIRM ablation from the Stanford Health Care system.

Reference: Krummen, David, Vijay Swarup, and Narayan, Sanjiv. “The Role of Rotors in Atrial Fibrillation.” Journal of Thoracic Disease. AME Publishing Company. Web. 23 Sept. 2015.