Montreal cardiologists perform Canada's first combined procedure for blood clots and heart rhythm

A patient at the Montreal Heart Institute received Canada's first combined procedure to treat atrial fibrillation and neutralize blood clots, avoiding the need for long-term anticoagulant therapy.

Dr. Adrian Petzl, a cardiologist and electrophysiologist at the institute's Arrhythmia Center, performed the procedure using two devices: an Abbott VOLT pulsed-field ablation catheter and an Abbott AMULET atrial appendage occlusion device. The patient could not tolerate standard blood thinners due to bleeding risk, making the combined approach critical.

Atrial fibrillation, the most common form of arrhythmia, increases stroke risk because blood clots form in the left atrial appendage in about 90 per cent of cases. Ablation treatment for the condition significantly raises clot formation risk, which typically requires years of anticoagulant therapy afterward. The combined procedure eliminates that step.

"The procedure is faster and causes fewer side effects," Petzl told La Presse Canadienne. "We can treat both conditions with a single procedure. Patients don't need long-term anticoagulants because they're well protected by this device." The procedure can be performed under sedation without general anaesthesia and is minimally painful, with some patients discharged the same day.

Without the combined approach, the patient would have required two separate procedures spaced apart. The Montreal Heart Institute opened its dedicated Arrhythmia Centre in June, consolidating specialized services in one location to streamline patient care.