Palm Beach Gardens, FL – Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center is the first hospital in the state of Florida to now offer the new LARIAT/Convergent Hybrid AF™ procedure for patients who have atrial fibrillation, or A-Fib. This technique combines left atrial appendage closure with the LARIAT and the Convergent procedure to ablate both the inside and outside part of the heart tissue causing A-Fib. This gives patients a better chance of curing their A-Fib, and reduce their risk of stroke. Dr. Nishant Patel and Dr. Matthew Kolek were the first two physicians to perform this type of procedure.

“1 in 4 adults over the age of 40 will develop A-Fib in their lifetime, but this new hybrid procedure is now giving people an opportunity to no longer suffer with this disease and be able to resume their daily activities,” said Dr. Nishant Patel cardiothoracic surgeon on staff at Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center. “This hospital is at the forefront of new procedures for cardiac care, and our community has access to them right here in our backyard.”

Unlike traditional surgical treatments, the LARIAT procedure is completed through small punctures in the skin, so in addition to less pain, the patient benefits from a shorter recovery time and less risk of complications.

The Convergent procedure effectively treats patients with chronic atrial fibrillation.  It utilizes radiofrequency to block irregular electrical signals by producing lesions, or scar tissue, on the heart.

“As the first hospital in Florida to combine these two procedures, Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center, is invested in making sure patients in our community have access to the very best, and most sophisticated cardiac treatment in the state,” said Dr. Matthew Kolek, electrophysiologist on staff at Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center. “As one of just a handful of centers performing this new procedure, this treatment will give people, who in the past have had unsuccessful A-Fib therapies, a new lease on life, and reduce their chance of suffering a stroke.”

As the first hospital in Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast to perform open-heart surgery, we continue to be at the forefront when it comes to being the first hospital performing cardiac procedures and the most experienced.

• More than 100,000 cardiac catheterizations
• Over 19,000 open heart surgeries
• Over 700 TAVR’s
• Over  275 Mitraclips
• Over 50 convergent procedures
• Nearly 300 Watchman procedures

For more information about our services, go to www.pbgmc.com or call 561-622-1411.