JOHOR BAHRU: KPJ Kluang Specialist Hospital (KPJ Kluang) has made history as the first hospital in the south of the country to successfully perform the FARAPULSE pulsed field ablation (PFA) procedure to treats heart rhythm disorders.
KPJ Healthcare Berhad (KPJ Healthcare) in a statement on Tuesday announced that the procedure using FARAPULSE PFA technology was led by Consultant Cardiologist and Electrophysiologist Dr Ng Kim Fong together with the hospital’s cardiac electrophysiology team.
According to the statement, unlike conventional ablation methods that use thermal energy, the technology delivers controlled electrical pulses to target abnormal heart tissue more precisely while minimizing the impact on surrounding tissue.
“As a minimally invasive approach, PFA has the potential to offer several clinical advantages to suitable patients, including less discomfort and surgical risk, as well as shorter procedure and recovery times,” the statement said.
The technology, implemented by a resident specialist, also reflects the continued advancement in the treatment of heart rhythm disorders and expands access to more advanced heart rhythm treatments under the KPJ Health System (KPJHS) network, especially for patients with complex cases.
The hospital also achieved the feat of being the first private hospital in the region to perform procedures using the Subcutaneous Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (S-ICD) device, thus strengthening the specialized cardiac services offered.
The S-ICD is a device used to monitor heart rhythm and offer therapy in the event of life-threatening arrhythmias. Unlike conventional systems, the device is implanted under the skin and does not have any electrodes placed in the heart or blood vessels.
Meanwhile, KPJ Healthcare President and Managing Director Chin Keat Chyuan said the achievement reflected continued efforts in strengthening specialist cardiac services at the hospital, particularly in expanding access to advanced cardiac arrhythmia treatment in the southern region.
He said the introduction of procedures such as FARAPULSE PFA showed that hospitals in the network were continuing to strengthen subspecialty capabilities and adopt newer treatment approaches, which supported more precise and less invasive care for patients.
“Guided by the aspirations of Care for Life , we remain committed to ensuring that communities can access advanced specialist care closer to them, thus enhancing clinical excellence,” he said.
Dr Ng said PFA supports a more targeted approach to the treatment of heart rhythm disorders as the technology allows the procedure to be performed more precisely, while reducing the impact on the surrounding heart tissue.
“As the field of cardiac electrophysiology advances, such approaches help expand treatment options and support safer and less invasive care for appropriate patients,” he said.
KPJ Kluang as the only private hospital in Kluang equipped with a Catheterization Laboratory has performed nearly 1,450 cardiac procedures, demonstrating its growing experience in cardiovascular interventions as well as its role in expanding access to specialized cardiac treatment in the region.
This progress also supports efforts to reduce the need for patients to travel to major urban centers for advanced or follow-up cardiac treatment.
— BERNAMA
