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Growing physician confidence in pulsed field ablation highlights the need to strengthen referral pathways, education and healthcare system readiness
SINGAPORE, July 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Boston Scientific today revealed findings from a new report showing that, while physicians in Asia Pacific (APAC) increasingly view pulsed field ablation (PFA) as the future of atrial fibrillation (AFib) treatment, many patients in the region remain unable to benefit due to gaps across the care pathway.
PFA in APAC, from Promise to Practice was commissioned by Boston Scientific to better understand physician perspectives on AFib care and the evolving role of PFA in APAC. Findings demonstrated strong confidence in PFA as an emerging ablation technology, with 92% of the surveyed physicians expecting it to become their preferred ablation modality within the next two years.
However, 83% reported that fewer than half of eligible patients with AFib are referred for ablation within one year of diagnosis, highlighting the need for stronger education, care coordination and system readiness to help patients access advanced heart rhythm control therapies such as PFA sooner.
AFib is becoming a growing healthcare concern across APAC, with tens of millions of people – higher than has been calculated for other global regions – living with the condition. AFib is associated with an increased risk of stroke, heart failure and premature death. As the burden of AFib continues to grow, physicians who contributed to the report pointed to the importance of ensuring that advances in treatment translate into meaningful benefits for patients and healthcare systems alike.
“APAC faces a growing burden of AFib at a time when healthcare systems are under increasing pressure to deliver high quality care more efficiently,” said Dr. Ahmed Abdelaal, chief medical officer, APAC, Boston Scientific. “Growing confidence in PFA presents an important opportunity to transform AFib care, but innovation alone is not enough. Findings from this study reinforce the need for industry partners to continue partnering with physicians, professional societies and healthcare systems to expand education, generate evidence and support the adoption of best practices that help more patients benefit from earlier intervention.”
The report identified several priorities to help more patients benefit from advances in AFib care, including improving referral pathways, strengthening education across the care continuum, generating additional long-term evidence and expanding access through supportive reimbursement and policy frameworks.
“Across APAC, there is growing recognition that AFib care must shift from a reactive approach to one focused on earlier intervention and proactive management,” said Professor Hung-Fat Tse, 2nd vice president, Asia Pacific Heart Rhythm Society. “As evidence and clinical experience with PFA continue to grow, closer collaboration across clinicians, healthcare systems and industry will be essential to translating innovation into better outcomes for more patients.”
The report is intended to support continued discussion on how AFib care is delivered across APAC, including the practical steps that may help appropriate patients receive timely assessment and treatment.
The full report, PFA in APAC, from Promise to Practice, is available here.
About the Report
PFA in APAC, from Promise to Practice was commissioned by Boston Scientific and developed to better understand electrophysiologists (EP) perspectives on AFib care and the evolving role of PFA across APAC.
The report is based on a double-blinded online survey of practicing EPs which included 137 participants across four APAC markets (17 in Australia, 60 in China, 30 in Japan and 30 in South Korea). The survey was conducted between January and February 2026. Findings were supplemented by in-depth interviews with five representative EPs and informed by a review of published scientific literature.
As an exploratory study, the findings represent the perspectives of participating EPs at a specific point in time and are intended to provide directional insights rather than a comprehensive representation of all AFib care settings across APAC. Results should be interpreted within the context of local healthcare systems, reimbursement environments and clinical practice patterns at the time of data collection. Since the survey and interviews were conducted, reimbursement environments in parts of the region have continued to evolve. For example, national reimbursement for PFA in South Korea came into effect on May 1, 2026.
The report explores current clinical practice, barriers and enablers to AFib care, perspectives on PFA adoption, and opportunities to improve patient access to rhythm-control therapies across APAC.
About Boston Scientific
Boston Scientific transforms lives through innovative medical technologies that improve the health of patients around the world. As a global medical technology leader for more than 45 years, we advance science for life by providing a broad range of high-performance solutions that address unmet patient needs and reduce the cost of healthcare. Our portfolio of devices and therapies helps physicians diagnose and treat complex cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, oncological, neurological and urological diseases and conditions.
Learn more at www.bostonscientific.com and follow us on LinkedIn.
*Professor Hung-Fat Tse’s quote contribution to this press release is in his capacity as a representative of APHRS. He did not receive compensation in connection with this press release.
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Appendix: Additional Findings
Physician Perspectives on PFA
- 71% of EPs reported that PFA offers shorter procedure times than other ablation approaches.
- 63% reported higher patient satisfaction following PFA procedures.
- 56% described the learning curve as easier than other ablation modalities.
- 26% reported that PFA currently accounts for more than half of their AFib ablation cases.
Referral and Access Challenges
- 81% reported that patients are commonly referred only after experiencing multiple AFib recurrences.
- 68% identified limited understanding of referral pathways and treatment options among referring healthcare professionals as a contributor to delayed intervention.
Future of AFib Care
- 64% expect increased use of first-line ablation for patients with paroxysmal AFib.
- 61% foresee expansion of advanced ablation approaches into broader patient populations.
- 57% anticipate earlier intervention in asymptomatic or early-stage AFib.
