AsianScientist (Jul. 28, 2026) – Atrial fibrillation (AFib) is one of the most common heart rhythm disorders. It disrupts the heart’s normal electrical activity, and with it, normal blood flow. Left unmanaged, it increases the risk of stroke, heart failure and other complications.
Across Asia Pacific, AFib is becoming an increasing concern with tens of millions of people— higher than has been calculated for other global regions—living with the condition. This number is expected to continue to rise in Asia Pacific as populations age and experience increased prevalence of conditions like hypertension, obesity and diabetes.
An innovative solution
Minimally invasive procedures, such as catheter ablation, are already being used as treatments for AFib. Established catheter ablation treatments for AFib include thermal approaches such as radiofrequency ablation and cryoablation, which use heat or cold energy.
A newer type of catheter ablation is pulsed field ablation (PFA), which uses short electrical pulses to target the heart tissue responsible for abnormal rhythms. Boston Scientific’s PFA platform is among the systems driving adoption of PFA.
To better understand AFib care and the role of PFA in the region, Boston Scientific commissioned a report, “PFA in APAC, from Promise to Practice”.
Yet, according to the report, many patients across Asia Pacific are still not benefiting from these advances as much as they could.
“Patients may encounter delays in specialist referral, limited awareness of available treatment options, financial barriers, and differences in access depending on where they live and receive care,” said Dr Ahmed Abdelaal, Chief Medical Officer at Boston Scientific, APAC.
According to Professor Hung-Fat Tse, 2nd vice president, APHRS, these problems persist from a clinical perspective as well, where patients also often face delays in diagnosis, limited awareness of their symptoms, uncertainty around treatment and inconsistent referral pathways.
Practising electrophysiologists (EPs) across Australia, China, Japan and South Korea were surveyed and found to be generally enthusiastic about PFA. In fact, 92 percent of the surveyed EPs expect to make PFA their preferred ablation method within the next two years.
This is with good reason given the data supporting PFA. “Clinical studies highlighted several potential advantages, including shorter procedure duration, workflow efficiency and a favourable safety profile compared with traditional thermal approaches,” noted Tse.
Building the systems around innovation
“However, innovation and adoption do not always progress at the same pace,” said Abdelaal. “Surveyed EPs expressed strong confidence in the future role of PFA, yet many also highlighted delays in referral, variations in access, workforce constraints and system readiness challenges that can influence how quickly patients benefit from advances in care.”
Notably, 83 percent of surveyed EPs reported that fewer than half of eligible patients were referred for PFA within one year of diagnosis, while 81 percent said patients were often referred only after multiple recurrences of AFib.
Alongside innovation, Abdelaal explained that systems must be developed for stronger referral pathways, improved implementation of clinical guidance, expanded education and training, as well as greater awareness and integration.
Workforce capacity remains a persistent constraint, he added, with many survey respondents reporting that staffing shortages and procedural capacity limits continue to affect service delivery. Access is further influenced by healthcare system maturity, availability of specialist services, workforce capacity and funding models. As a result, patients in different parts of the region may experience very different treatment journeys.
Despite these challenges, policy has been progressing steadily. PFA is now recognised within contemporary international consensus statements, though Tse noted that future opportunities lie in implementation, standardization and continued refinement as evidence grows.
A shared path forward
Looking ahead, both Abdelaal and Tse see the next five to ten years shaped by a shift toward earlier, more proactive rhythm-control strategies and stronger multidisciplinary collaboration.
“Advancing AFib care requires collaboration across clinicians, healthcare systems, professional societies and industry to ensure that patients can benefit from innovation in practice,” said Abdelaal. “The findings reinforce that improving AFib care is a shared responsibility. We see our role as supporting evidence generation, fostering dialogue and working alongside the clinical community to help identify practical solutions that can improve patient outcomes across the region.”
Ultimately, the central message of “PFA in APAC, from Promise to Practice” is one of alignment. The future of AFib care in Asia Pacific will be shaped not only by innovation itself, but by the evidence, education, infrastructure and collaboration needed to carry it from the clinic to the patient.
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Source: Boston Scientific // CORP-2549507-AA
Disclaimer: This article does not necessarily reflect the views of AsianScientist or its staff.
