Sunrise Hospital & Medical Center has flipped the switch on Nevada’s first second‑generation Pulse‑Field Ablation (PFA) system—technology that uses micro‑bursts of electricity rather than heat to silence rogue cardiac tissue causing atrial fibrillation (AFib).
Unlike thermal radio‑frequency or cryo‑balloon methods, PFA selectively disrupts myocardial cells while sparing the esophagus, phrenic nerve and coronary arteries—dramatically lowering complication risk. National trial data presented at Heart Rhythm 2025 show major‑adverse‑event rates below 1 %.
The new Sunrise suite integrates real‑time 3‑D electro‑anatomic mapping, allowing electrophysiologists to create patient‑specific “rhythm fingerprints” and cut procedure time by an estimated 25 %. “We’re committed to offering the most innovative therapies available,” said CEO Todd P. Sklamberg, noting that shorter ablations mean fewer anesthesia risks and quicker same‑day discharges
Leading the program is Dr. Arjun Gururaj, whose fellowship at Texas Heart pioneered first‑gen PFA. “Second‑gen waveform control lets us fine‑tune lesion depth while monitoring tissue impedance in milliseconds,” he explained, predicting a tangible drop in AFib‑related ER visits over the next 12 months.
The upgrade is the latest milestone in Sunrise Health System’s electrophysiology curve: sister facility MountainView Hospital performed Nevada’s inaugural PFA in July 2024, and Southern Hills Hospital adopted advanced cryo‑technology two months later.
From a chest‑pain‑center standpoint, rapid arrhythmia control translates into shorter observation stays and more predictable troponin trending, easing ED throughput during peak cardiac‑alert periods.
Hospital administrators say the $6 million project was offset by a projected €1.2 million annual savings in reduced repeat procedures and 30‑day readmissions, mirroring early ROI figures published by East‑Coast centers.
As PFA moves from clinical trial to mainstream guideline status, Sunrise’s data will feed directly into the ACC Chest Pain–MI Registry, giving Las Vegas cardiology teams a head start on next‑generation arrhythmia quality metrics.