Can a new electric pulse technique tame Post-Heart-Attack heart rhythms faster?
NCT ID NCT06891456
First seen Sep 03, 2026 · Last updated Sep 04, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This pilot study compares two ablation techniques for treating ventricular tachycardia, a fast and dangerous heart rhythm that can occur after a heart attack. Researchers will randomly assign 40 adults with ischemic heart disease and an implantable defibrillator to receive either pulsed field ablation (PFA) with the FARAPOINT catheter or standard radiofrequency ablation (RFA). The goal is to see whether PFA can eliminate the abnormal heart tissue more quickly while keeping the same safety profile as the standard method.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Pulsed field ablation (PFA) using the FARAPOINT catheter, compared with standard radiofrequency ablation (RFA) using FlexAbility or ThermoCool ST catheters
- What this could lead to
- If PFA works as hoped, it could shorten ablation procedures for dangerous heart rhythms after a heart attack, while keeping safety on par with the standard approach.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small pilot study, so results may not hold up in larger trials. PFA is newer and could carry unexpected risks, such as heart damage or rhythm complications.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
-
Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
-
About 40 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
-
Jun 2025
- Expected to finish
-
Dec 2028
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
-
Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
-
18 years and older
- Sex
-
Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
-
Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: must meet all of the following: 1. Age ≥18 years. 2. Ischemic heart disease with prior myocardial infarction. 3. Left ventricular ejection fraction ≥20% estimated by transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) within 90 days prior to enrollment. 4. Documented sustained monomorphic VT with any of the following characteristics: 1. ≥2documented episodes in patients with implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICD) 2. ≥1 documented episode(s) in patients without ICD 3. Recurrent VT despite antiarrhythmic medications (ineffective, contraindicated or not tolerated) or ICD interventions 5. Provision of signed and dated informed consent form. 6. Stated willingness to comply with all study procedures and availability for the duration of the study. Exclusion Criteria: any of the following: 1. Unable to provide informed consent. 2. Idiopathic VT. 3. Mobile LV thrombus. 4. Acute coronary syndrome within the preceding 2 months (if incessant VT ≥1 month before enrollment). 5. Comorbidity likely to limit survival to \<12 months 6. New York Heart Association class IV heart failure. 7. Estimated glomerular filtration rate \<30 ml/min/1.73m2. 8. Thrombocytopenia or coagulopathy. 9. Contraindication to heparin. 10. Pregnancy or lactation. 11. Cardiac surgery within the past 2 months. 12. Active infection. 13. Clinical, laboratory or imaging evidence of active ischemia. 14. Severe left heart valvular heart disease (aortic/mitral stenosis or regurgitation). 15. Any concomitant congenital heart disease. 16. Prior catheter or surgical ablation of VT within the past 2 months. 17. Anticipated need for epicardial mapping and ablation. 18. For individuals with no pre-existing ICD: Ineligibility for an ICD implant. 19. Pre-existing LVAD or other hemodynamic assist device 20. Present mechanical heart valve 21. cardiogenic shock unless it is due to incessant VT
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Ischemic heart disease are added.
By submitting, you agree to our Terms of use
Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
-
The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
-
The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
-
A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
Cleveland Clinic
RECRUITINGCleveland, Ohio, 44195, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- A 7,000-Person trial asks: is lifelong aspirin necessary for older hearts?
- CT-Guided heart exams could cut radiation and time
- Can a higher dose of heart radiation stop dangerous rhythms?
- Can a higher dose of adenosine sharpen heart scans?
- Can two advanced heart maps guide a more precise fix for dangerous arrhythmias?
- Could a short course of steroids calm a dangerous heart rhythm?