State’s First Boston Scientific Cardiac Ablation Treatment Dealing with Atrial Fibrillation Performed at Forrest General Hospital
HATTIESBURG, Miss. – (July 30, 2025) For patients with atrial fibrillation — when the heart’s upper chambers beat out of rhythm — Forrest General Hospital’s Heart and Vascular Services now offers treatment to help reduce the risk of heart failure and stroke.
Boston Scientific’s new heart rhythm treatment system uses advanced technology. It combines the OPAL HDx™ Mapping System, the FARAWAVE™ NAV Ablation Catheter, and FARAVIEW™ Software into one system. This allows doctors to both map the heart and perform pulsed field ablation (PFA) using a single catheter. Dr. Mark Borganelli, MD, FACC, an electrophysiologist at Hattiesburg Clinic, was the first in Mississippi to use the OPAL system during a procedure at Forrest General on July 21.
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common type of arrhythmia, and can decrease the heart’s pumping efficiency, which can cause blood cells to pool and stick together, forming clots in the heart, which can lead to stroke. AF affects nearly two percent of the general population worldwide, and approximately seven million Americans live with this arrhythmia. An estimated 38 million people globally have AF.
“We are pleased to have performed the first cardiac ablation procedure in Mississippi at Forrest General Hospital using the FARAVIEW™ Software and NAV Ablation Catheter, newly-approved devices for the treatment of atrial fibrillation in the U.S.,” said Dr. Borganelli. “The number of people living with atrial fibrillation is on the rise, and safe, effective technologies like this are needed to assist physicians in treating more patients, reducing complications, and benefiting overall public health.”
About Forrest General’s Cardiac Services
Forrest General’s Heart and Vascular Services delivers expert care from board-certified cardiologists, cardiovascular surgeons and vascular surgeons. Services range from diagnostic testing, heart surgery and structural heart treatment to interventional cardiology, cardiac rehabilitation and vascular treatment. For more information, visit www.forrestgeneral.org/heart.
ABOUT FORREST HEALTH
Forrest Health is a system of healthcare organizations formed to increase access to quality health care in south Mississippi. Forrest General Hospital is its flagship hospital. In addition to Forrest General, Forrest Health hospitals include: Highland Community Hospital, Picayune; Jefferson Davis Community Hospital & Extended Care Facility, Prentiss; Marion General Hospital, Columbia; Pearl River County Hospital & Nursing Home, Poplarville; Perry County General Hospital, Richton; and Walthall General Hospital, Tylertown. Forrest Health is also home to The Orthopedic Institute and Institute of Neuroscience, both in Hattiesburg, as well as a variety of healthcare clinics throughout its 19-county coverage area.
