Vandalia Health Mon Medical Center expands personalized heart rhythm care with new dual-energy ablation technology

Vandalia Health Mon Medical Center has expanded its advanced heart rhythm treatment capabilities with the addition of Abbott’s TactiFlex™ Duo Ablation Catheter, Sensor Enabled™, giving physicians greater flexibility to tailor treatment for patients with atrial fibrillation (AFib).

The technology allows electrophysiologists to deliver two types of treatment through a single catheter: pulsed field ablation, which uses targeted electrical pulses, and radiofrequency ablation, which uses heat. Physicians can switch between the two approaches or use a combination of both during a procedure based on the patient’s anatomy and treatment needs.

The new catheter provides an additional treatment option for patients with challenging cases of AFib, particularly those with complex anatomy, prior or failed ablations, or other challenging clinical situations, as determined by their physician.

The first procedures using the new technology at Mon Medical Center were performed by Matthew Gaskill, DO, and Salam Sbaity, MD, electrophysiologists at Vandalia Health Mon Heart & Vascular Center.

“Every patient’s heart is different, and treating AFib requires an individualized approach,” Dr. Gaskill said. “TactiFlex Duo allows us to use pulsed field energy, radiofrequency energy or both through the same catheter. That gives us additional flexibility to adapt our treatment strategy to the patient’s anatomy and the areas we need to treat.”

Cardiac ablation is a minimally invasive procedure that creates small areas of scar tissue to interrupt the abnormal electrical signals responsible for an irregular heart rhythm. Pulsed field ablation uses high-energy electrical pulses to destroy the cells causing abnormal rhythms and can reduce the risk of damaging adjacent tissue. Radiofrequency ablation uses heat to treat tissue responsible for those signals.

TactiFlex Duo builds on the advanced ablation options already available at Mon Medical Center, including Boston Scientific’s FARAPULSE pulsed field ablation platform and FARAPOINT catheter for targeted treatment, as well as Abbott’s Volt system, which integrates heart mapping and pulsed field treatment using a single catheter. TactiFlex Duo expands these options by allowing physicians to select between pulsed field and radiofrequency energy through the same device.

“Our existing technologies continue to play an important role in treating AFib,” Dr. Sbaity said. “The addition of TactiFlex Duo gives us another option for patients whose anatomy or previous treatment history may call for a more customized approach. We evaluate each patient carefully to determine which technology and treatment strategy best fit their needs.”

The catheter integrates with Abbott’s EnSite™ X EP System, which creates detailed three-dimensional maps of the heart to help physicians locate and treat the source of an irregular heartbeat. Mon Medical Center also uses advanced intracardiac echocardiography integration to provide real-time images of the heart during ablation procedures.

TactiFlex Duo received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval in September 2026 following a clinical study that showed it was safe and effective in treating patients whose AFib episodes come and go.

“Expanding our treatment options supports our commitment to providing individualized heart care close to home,” said Bradford Warden, MD, FACC, Executive Director and Chief of Cardiology for the Vandalia Health Mon Heart & Vascular Center and Chief Administrative Officer of Mon Health Medical Group. “These investments, combined with the expertise of our electrophysiology team, help ensure patients in our region have access to advanced care tailored to their needs.”

Mon Medical Center’s comprehensive electrophysiology program includes advanced ablation technologies and WATCHMAN procedures to help reduce stroke risk in eligible patients with AFib. The hospital has also earned American College of Cardiology accreditation for electrophysiology care.