Treatments · Houston
PFA uses brief electrical pulses instead of heat or freezing. Dr. Boone uses it when pulmonary-vein isolation is the goal and the anatomy fits — then follows you himself.
Atrial fibrillation often starts in muscle sleeves around the pulmonary veins. Ablation isolates those veins so the triggers cannot drive the atrium. Pulsed field ablation delivers short, high-voltage pulses designed to affect heart muscle more than nearby structures such as the esophagus and blood vessels.
It is one tool. Radiofrequency and cryoablation remain excellent for many rhythms. If PFA is not the right energy for your circuit, we will say so. The technology follows the diagnosis — not the other way around.
PFA is an option for many people with atrial fibrillation when the plan is pulmonary-vein isolation. It is not automatic for every AFib patient. Anatomy, prior ablations, other medical problems, and whether the goal is rhythm control versus rate control all matter.
A first visit answers three questions: stroke risk, rate or rhythm control, and whether ablation belongs on the table. That conversation happens in clinic — not on this page.
Cases are performed in a hospital electrophysiology lab with 3D mapping. Dr. Boone does the procedure. Most ablations use anesthesia support. Expected setting, overnight plan, and recovery are reviewed before you agree to a date.
Hospital privileges include Houston Methodist, Memorial Hermann, Baylor St. Luke’s, and HCA facilities across the Texas Medical Center, Clear Lake, and Pearland.
Clinic follow-up is at the office that is easiest for you:
Recovery is typically measured in days, not months, but the exact plan depends on access site, anesthesia, and your other conditions. Rhythm can still be irritable in the early weeks. Anticoagulation, sleep apnea, blood pressure, and medications stay part of the plan — treated as part of the rhythm, not afterthoughts.
Follow-up stays with the same physician who mapped and ablated.
Houston already has PFA. The difference here is who decides, who operates, and who you call when the rhythm is still irritable two weeks later. Dr. Boone maps the case, performs it, and keeps the follow-up at TMC, Clear Lake, or Pearland. Energy is chosen for the circuit. If PFA is the wrong tool, that is said before a date is set.
Radiofrequency uses heat. Cryoablation uses freezing. PFA uses brief electrical pulses designed to affect heart muscle more than nearby structures such as the esophagus and blood vessels. All three remain useful. Operator, map, and the decision not to ablate change outcomes more than the marketing name of the energy.
Every left-atrial ablation carries risk: access-site bleeding, pericardial effusion, stroke, and rare injury to neighboring structures. PFA was designed to lower some thermal injuries. It does not delete risk, and it does not delete anticoagulation when your score still requires it.
No. PFA is an excellent option for many people when pulmonary-vein isolation is the goal. Other energies or a non-procedural plan may be better depending on the atrium, prior procedures, and other medical problems.
Most ablations are done with anesthesia support in a hospital EP lab. You will know the expected setting before you agree to a date.
Not by itself. Stroke-prevention decisions follow your risk profile, not the energy source used in the lab. That plan is made explicitly, in writing if needed, before and after the procedure.
No. Call (832) 972-7300. If another physician is sending records, fax them to (855) 538-7649. We usually contact the patient within one business day.
Request a visit Call (832) 972-7300
Related: AFib care in Houston · All treatments · Patient guide
No referral required. We will schedule the office that is easiest for you.
