Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death and disability in the United States. This has been the case for decades and as of 2024, nearly half of Americans have a cardiovascular condition, and those conditions cause one in four deaths, according to the American Heart Association . However, thanks to the efforts of surgeons and doctors as well as advancements in medical science, treatments for these conditions continue to become safer, more effective and available to a broader population of patients.
Through St. Luke’s University Health Network and Lehigh Valley Health Network many new, lifesaving treatments for conditions affecting the heart, blood and vascular system are available in the Lehigh Valley. Here’s what doctors at both health networks say are the most impactful new treatments for cardiovascular conditions now being offered in the Lehigh Valley.
Something that has been hailed as a game changer by doctors at both networks is pulsed-field ablation, a new type of treatment for atrial fibrillation that takes less time to perform, has fewer risks for complications and results in a shorter recovery time than more traditional forms of ablation. St. Luke’s was the first in the Lehigh Valley to offer the procedure, starting May 6, and it is now performed by five doctors in the network.
LVHN treated its first patient with pulsed-field ablation June 10. “I’ve been doing this for 10 years and nothing’s ever changed us this much,” said Dr. Steve Stevens,.
