Cardioneuroablation Cuts Fainting in 25 Syncope Patients, Offering Alternative to Pacemakers
Updated
Updated · Livescience.com · Jun 12
Cardioneuroablation Cuts Fainting in 25 Syncope Patients, Offering Alternative to Pacemakers
2 articles · Updated · Livescience.com · Jun 12
Summary
25 patients with cardioinhibitory syncope had dramatic improvement after cardioneuroablation, with fewer than one fainting episode on average in the following year, researchers reported at the British Cardiovascular Society conference.
The procedure targets ganglionated plexi on the heart with radio-frequency energy, aiming to blunt overactive vagus-nerve signals that can briefly stop the heart and trigger blackouts.
3 patients needed repeat procedures because the nerve tissue can regrow, but Dr. Boon Lim's team said the approach could spare some patients the long-term burdens of pacemakers and battery replacements.
The findings are still early and not yet peer-reviewed; outside cardiologist Dr. Sirisha Vadali said larger studies and longer follow-up are needed to test durability and identify who benefits most.
Cardioinhibitory syncope accounts for fewer than 5% of treated fainting cases, but its unpredictability can be highly disruptive—one treated patient, Sarah Hall, said she has not fainted since and can drive and work again.
Beyond fainting, what other chronic conditions could be solved by precisely targeting and ablating misfiring nerves?
Does 'curing' fainting by destroying heart nerves create a ticking time bomb for future cardiac issues?
Is this new procedure a true pacemaker replacement, or simply trading one set of risks for another?
Cardioneuroablation in Vasovagal Syncope: Promising Results, Patient Profiles, and Long-Term Considerations
Overview
Cardioneuroablation (CNA) is a new, minimally invasive treatment for patients with refractory vasovagal syncope (VVS). CNA works by targeting specific nerve pathways in the heart to modulate cardiac autonomic function, which is often responsible for sudden drops in heart rate and blood pressure seen in VVS. Recent studies, including a review of patients monitored before and after CNA, are exploring how this procedure affects heart rhythms and conduction patterns. These investigations aim to better understand how CNA can offer a lasting solution for people who do not respond to traditional therapies.