AF Symposium 2026 - Pulsed field ablation in atrial fibrillation: Will it Redefine AF Ablation Strategies?

Arrhythmia Academy board member Dr Tina Baykaner (Stanford University, Stanford, CA, US) is joined by Dr Melanie Gunawardene (CCB Frankfurt und Main-Taunus, Frankfurt, DE) exploring whether pulsed field ablation will fundamentally transform atrial fibrillation ablation strategies in 2026.

This timely discussion examines the rapid evolution of PFA technology and its impact on clinical practice. As real-world data continues to emerge from centers worldwide, questions remain about optimal patient selection, procedural techniques, and long-term efficacy compared to established thermal ablation methods. The conversation addresses the biophysical limitations of historical thermal ablation, particularly the difficulty of creating durable lesions in scarred tissue where resistive loading is low. The experts explore whether the ultra-rapid electrical fields and tissue specificity of PFA can finally overcome these hurdles, potentially allowing for the re-evaluation of ablation strategies that previously failed in randomized trials due to ineffective catheters.

Recorded on-site at AF Symposium in Boston, 2026.
Editor: Jordan Rance

Videographer: David Ben-Harosh
Support: This is an independent interview produced by Radcliffe Cardiology.