Severance becomes Korea’s 1st to complete 100 Varipulse PFA procedures

Severance Cardiovascular Hospital said Wednesday it has become the first medical institution in Korea to complete 100 cases of the Varipulse pulsed field ablation (PFA) procedure, reaching the milestone on Nov. 20.

The achievement comes less than a year after Severance introduced PFA in Korea last December and was later designated as an international PFA training center.

PFA is an advanced electrical treatment for atrial fibrillation (AF). By delivering high-energy electrical pulses, it creates tiny pores in heart tissue to selectively destroy arrhythmia-causing myocardial cells while sparing surrounding tissue. The procedure takes less than an hour.

AF, the most common arrhythmia, causes the heart to beat irregularly due to structural or functional issues. Symptoms include chest discomfort, dizziness, and shortness of breath. Irregular blood flow can also lead to blood clots and stroke. In Korea, AF affects about 10 percent of adults over 60, and its overall prevalence is expected to exceed 3.5 percent by 2030 as the population ages.

Several PFA types are currently used depending on how energy is delivered. Varipulse applies repeated low-voltage pulses to AF-triggering sites, while Farapulse eliminates the target area with a single high-voltage pulse. Physicians select the method based on each patient’s condition.

Although the hospital marked 100 Varipulse cases on Nov. 20, its total number of PFA procedures, including Farapulse, reached 425 as of Nov. 26.

With the highest domestic PFA volume, Severance has seen growing interest from other institutions seeking training. Earlier this year, it became Korea’s first international training center for both Varipulse and Farapulse, providing education to cardiologists from local university hospitals such as Kyungpook National University Hospital, as well as specialists from the University of Hong Kong.

Professor Joung Bo-young, who led the introduction and adoption of PFA at Severance, said the techniques “minimize damage to surrounding tissue while shortening procedure time, thereby enhancing treatment outcomes and reducing patient burden.” She added that with the nation’s highest number of procedures and ongoing physician training, Severance “will continue to ensure more patients can benefit from this therapy.”