An elderly man in a blue sweater holding his hand over his heart.

Atrial fibrillation (AFib)

Learn about the symptoms and risks of AFib. Understand your options to manage AFib, including the FARAPULSE™ Pulsed Field Ablation System and the WATCHMAN™ Left Atrial Appendage Closure Implant. 

A graphic of two hearts visualization a normal heart and a heart that has atrial fibrillation.

What is atrial fibrillation (AFib)?

Atrial fibrillation, or AFib, is a common type of irregular heartbeat. It happens when the upper chambers of the heart, also called “atria,” beat irregularly because of disorganized electrical signals in the heart. This can be paroxysmal (occasional) or persistent (lasting over 7 days). It’s also possible to have AFib and not feel any symptoms at all (asymptomatic). AFib affects over 5 million people in the U.S.1

AFib symptoms and complications

Symptoms of AFib include:2

  • Shortness of breath
  • Racing heart, fluttering heartbeat or palpitations
  • Dizziness or lightheadedness

AFib can put you at risk of other complications:2

  • Blood clots: An irregular heartbeat can cause blood to pool and form clots in an area of the heart called the left atrial appendage, or LAA.
  • Stroke: If a blood clot forms in the LAA, it can travel to another part of your body and cause a stroke.
  • Heart failure: If AFib continues over a long time, the decreased efficiency of the heart can lead to heart failure.

Common treatments to manage AFib include:2 

  • Lifestyle changes, such as eating a heart-healthy diet and watching alcohol and caffeine intake
  • Medications, which can manage the heart rate and rhythm or reduce the risk of blood clots 
  • Procedures, such as cardioversion or cardiac ablation, to restore a normal heart rhythm; and left atrial appendage closure (LAAC) to reduce AFib-related stroke risk  

Treating symptoms of occasional AFib (paroxysmal AFib) with FARAPULSE™ 

An eldery couple walking together in a park and smiling.

FARAPULSE Pulsed Field Ablation, or PFA, is an advanced, minimally invasive procedure to treat occasional (paroxysmal) AFib when medications to manage the heart's rhythm are not working. FARAPULSE technology uses short, precise pulses of electrical energy to target the areas in your heart that cause irregular beats, while minimizing damage to surrounding tissue.

How does FARAPULSE work?

Traditional thermal cardiac ablation creating scar tissue.

Traditional thermal cardiac ablation uses extreme heat or cold to create scar tissue that blocks signals causing abnormal rhythm, but has the potential to damage surrounding tissue in important areas.

FARAPULSE Pulsed Field Ablation selectively targeting the heart between the normal esophagus and the normal phrenic nerve.

FARAPULSE Pulsed Field Ablation is the next generation of cardiac ablation that uses short rapid pulses of energy to selectively target the area in the heart that causes an irregular heart rhythm, while preserving surrounding tissue.


 

FARAPULSE is the world's clinical leader in Pulsed Field Ablation.

  • In the largest real-world pulsed field ablation study of over 17,000 patients, FARAPULSE had a less than 1% rate of complications*3
  • In a clinical trial, 8 out of 10 people experienced no returning AFib symptoms within a year of the procedure**4
  • Over 73% of FARAPULSE patients remained off heart rhythm medications at one year5
  • 93% of patients said they were satisfied with the FARAPULSE PFA procedure6

See if FARAPULSE is right for you. Check your eligibility, understand the procedure, and learn why over 200,000+ people worldwide have chosen FARAPULSE.

Visit FARAPULSE.com

There are risks associated with all medical procedures. Talk with your doctor about the risks and benefits associated with the FARAPULSE PFA System.

Reducing NV-AFib stroke risk with the WATCHMAN™ Implant

Already had a WATCHMAN Implant procedure? Visit our support page for more information.

A smiling grandma running and playing with her granddaughter in a yard.


The WATCHMAN Implant is a one-time, minimally invasive implant to reduce stroke risk for people with non-valvular AFib (NV-AFib), or AFib not caused by a heart valve problem. The WATCHMAN Implant is an alternative to blood thinners for people who need one.

How does the WATCHMAN Implant work?
 

A graphic of a heart depicting blood pooling in the left atrial appendage.

Atrial fibrillation, or AFib, affects your heart’s ability to pump normally. This can cause blood to pool in an area of the heart called the left atrial appendage, or LAA.7

A graphic of a left atrial appendage with a blood clot forming in it.

There, blood cells can stick together and form a clot. When a blood clot escapes the heart and travels in the body, it can stop blood flow and cause a stroke. Blood thinners work to lower AFib stroke risk by stopping blood clots from forming, but because they work by thinning the blood, they also increase the risk of bleeding.7,8

A graphic of a heart depicting the WATCHMAN implant closing off the left atrial appendage.

The WATCHMAN Implant is a safe, minimally invasive, one-time implant that reduces non-valvular AFib stroke risk without the need for lifelong blood thinners.†9 It works by closing off the left atrial appendage in the heart, where more than 90% of stroke-causing clots are formed.10

The WATCHMAN Implant is the #1 doctor recommended, most implanted device for left atrial appendage closure.

  • 96% of people stopped blood thinners 45 days after their procedure9
  • High implant success rate of 99% and a low major complication rate of 0.5%††9
  • Over 20 years of clinical and real-world experience, over 10 clinical studies and over 500,000 people treated

See if the WATCHMAN Implant is right for you. Check your eligibility, understand the procedure, and learn how over 500,000+ people have left blood thinners behind.

Visit WATCHMAN.com

There are risks associated with all medical procedures. Talk with your doctor about the risks and benefits associated with the WATCHMAN Implant.

A group of elderly men have beverages and talk around a chess board.

An irregular heart rhythm can be managed. For patients in AFib, cardioversion is a treatment where a doctor uses sensors attached to your body and a machine to deliver quick, low-energy shocks to correct the irregular heartbeat.11 Irregular heart rhythms may also be treated with an implantable device.

Two common devices used to control the heart’s rhythm are pacemakers and implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICD). Both devices use electrical impulses to stimulate the heart. However, there are distinct differences between them:

Pacemaker

  • A pacemaker helps control an abnormally slow heartbeat
  • A pacemaker sends small electrical pulses to the heart if the heart is beating too slow

Implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD)

  • An ICD device sends an electric shock to the heart if it detects a dangerously fast heartbeat to restore the heart to its normal rhythm
  • An ICD is designed to prevent sudden cardiac death
  • Boston Scientific offers two ICD options: a Subcutaneous ICD and a Transvenous ICD
Learn more about Boston Scientific pacemakers
Learn more about Boston Scientific defibrillators

There are risks associated with all medical procedures. Talk with your doctor about the risks and benefits associated with pacemaker and ICD implants.

Tools to advocate for yourself

Understand how AFib affects different groups of people and learn the ways you can advocate for your healthcare. 

*In a clinical trial the major adverse event rate was 0.98% (n=17,642). Due to the retrospective nature of the registry, the adverse event rate was not reported at a prespecified time point. Major complication is defined as death, esophageal fistula/ dysmotility, PV stenosis, pericardial tamponade, stroke, phrenic nerve injury (persistent), vascular complications requiring intervention and coronary artery spasm.

**In a clinical trial 81.6% of people with paroxysmal AFib had no atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter or atrial tachycardia after a single ablation procedure at 12 months.

†In a clinical trial, 96% of patients were able to discontinue their blood thinner 45 days after getting the WATCHMAN Implant.

††In a clinical trial. Major complication is defined as an occurrence of one of the following events between the time of implant and within 7 days following the procedure or by hospital discharge, whichever is later: all-cause death, ischemic stroke, systemic embolism, or device or procedure related events requiring open cardiac surgery or major endovascular intervention.

References:

1.       Go AS. et al, Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics—2013 Update: A Report From the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2013; 127: e6-e245.

2.       FAQ About AFib. American Heart Association, Inc., 2023. Available at: www.heart.org/-/media/Files/Health-Topics/Atrial-Fibrillation/FAQ-About-AFib.pdf. Accessed June 10, 2024.

3.       Ekanem, E., Neuzil, P., Reichlin, T. et al. Safety of pulsed field ablation in more than 17,000 patients with atrial fibrillation in the MANIFEST- 17K study. Nat Med (2024). doi:10.1038/s41591-024-03114-3.

4.       Turagam MK, Neuzil P, Schmidt B, et al. Safety and effectiveness of pulsed field ablation to treat atrial fibrillation: one-year outcomes from the MANIFEST-PF registry. Circulation. 2023;148(1):35–46.

5.       Reddy VY, Gerstenfeld EP, Natale A, et al. Pulsed field or conventional thermal ablation for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. New England Journal of Medicine. 2023;389(18):1660–1671. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa2307291

6.       BSC data on file. 2024.

7.       Atrial Fibrillation (Afib). Cleveland Clinic. Available at: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/16765-atrial-fibrillation-afib. Accessed June 10, 2024.

8.       Left Atrial Appendage Closure (LAA). Cleveland Clinic. Available at: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/17167-left-atrial-appendage--closure. Accessed June 10, 2024.

9.       Kar, S., et al, Primary Outcome Evaluation of the Next Generation LAAC Device: Results from the PINNACLE FLX Trial, Circulation, 2021.

10.    Blackshear JL, Odell JA. Appendage obliteration to reduce stroke in cardiac surgical patients with atrial fibrillation. Ann Thorac Surg. 1996;61:755-759.

11.    Cardioversion. Mayo Clinic. Available at: https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/cardioversion/about/pac-20385123. Accessed December 5, 2024.

Caution: U.S. Federal law restricts this device to sale by or on the order of a physician.

Content on this web page is for Informational Purposes only and does not constitute medical advice and should not be used for medical diagnoses. Boston Scientific strongly recommends that you consult with your physician on all matters pertaining to your health or to address any clinical/medical questions.

FARAPULSE™ Pulsed Field Ablation System

The FARAPULSE Pulsed Field Ablation (PFA) System is intended for the isolation of the pulmonary veins in the treatment of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation by rendering targeted cardiac tissue electrically non-conductive to prevent cardiac arrhythmia initiation or maintenance. With all medical procedures there are risks associated with the use of the device. The risks include but are not limited to pain or discomfort, electric shock, hypotension, infection/inflammation, allergic reaction, anesthesia risk, radiation injury/tissue burn, heart failure, renal failure, respiratory distress, arrhythmia, nerve injury (such as phrenic nerve or vagal nerve), gastrointestinal disorders, vessel trauma, cardiac trauma (such as perforation), injury related to adjacent structures (esophageal injury, atrio-esophageal fistula, pulmonary injury), pulmonary vein stenosis, surgical and access complications, muscle spasm, injury due to blood clot or air bubbles in the lungs or other organs, heart attack, TIA, stroke, and/or damage to red blood cells. In rare cases, cardiac arrest or death may occur. Be sure to talk with your doctor so that you thoroughly understand all of the risks and benefits associated with the procedure and use of the device. EP-1801404-AA

WATCHMAN™ Left Atrial Appendage Closure Implant

Important Safety Information

The WATCHMAN FLX and WATCHMAN FLX Pro Devices are permanent implants designed to close the left atrial appendage in the heart in an effort to reduce the risk of stroke.

With all medical procedures there are risks associated with the implant procedure and the use of the device. The risks include but are not limited to accidental heart puncture, air embolism, allergic reaction, anemia, anesthesia risks, arrhythmias, AV (Arteriovenous) fistula, bleeding or throat pain from the TEE (Trans Esophageal Echo) probe, blood clot or air bubbles in the lungs or other organs, bruising at the catheter insertion site, clot formation on the device, cranial bleed, excessive bleeding, gastrointestinal bleeding, groin puncture bleed, hypotension, infection/pneumonia, pneumothorax, pulmonary edema, pulmonary vein obstruction, renal failure, stroke, thrombosis and transient ischemic attack. In rare cases death can occur.

Be sure to talk with your doctor so that you thoroughly understand all of the risks and benefits associated with the implantation of the device.

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