Rambam Health Care Campus (Rambam) is the first medical center in Northern Israel to integrate Medtronic’s state-of-the-art Affera™ mapping and ablation system—a groundbreaking advancement in the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias.
Professor Mahmoud Suleiman. Photography: Rambam HCC
Rambam has acquired a device with new transformative technology that enables more precise, safe, and effective treatment for patients suffering from arrhythmias—particularly in complex cases previously untreatable using conventional methods.
The Affera system features a uniquely designed spherical catheter tip equipped with advanced electrodes. This innovative design enables highly accurate mapping of electrical activity in the heart, helping doctors locate the exact source of an arrhythmia. Unlike traditional technologies that rely on heating or cooling tissue—often risking damage to healthy areas—Affera delivers focused electrical pulses that precisely treat the areas causing the abnormal rhythm, while preserving surrounding healthy tissue and normal cardiac function.
“Preserving heart function and minimizing collateral damage—especially in younger patients—is a top priority,” says Professor Mahmoud Suleiman, Director of the Levine Family Electrophysiology Unit at Rambam’s Eyal Ofer Heart Hospital. “With the Affera system, we can now deliver targeted, efficient treatment while safeguarding essential heart tissue and significantly reducing recovery and hospitalization time.”
Affera enables physicians to treat complex arrhythmia cases swiftly and effectively, offering advanced care to patients who have not responded to conventional therapies.
“This technology places Rambam at the forefront of medical innovation in Israel,” concludes Professor Suleiman, “and provides residents of Northern Israel with access to one of the most advanced cardiac treatments available.”
Professor Suleiman with the Affera team after the first procedure.
Photography: Rambam HCC
