JACKSONVILLE, Florida. – Ascension St. Vincent’s uses new technology to treat patients with atrial fibrillation.

RELATED: Procedure for treating atrial fibrillation is becoming increasingly popular in Jacksonville and beyond

Atrial fibrillation is characterized by an irregular and often rapid heart rhythm. The heart can beat up to 400 times per minute.

Ascension St. Vincent’s uses new equipment to treat atrial fibrillation patients through a procedure called pulsed field ablation.

Mike French is one patient who underwent the new procedure and is now free of atrial fibrillation after struggling with it for three years.

“It’s life-changing,” French said. “You can live your life on your own terms.”

French, a 16-year Navy veteran, said he can now do the things he loves, like playing golf, exercising and taking long walks, without worry.

He also no longer has to take blood thinners.

“You bruise a lot easier,” French said. “You cut yourself shaving and it’s painful to stop, things like that.”

Dr. Saumil Oza of Ascension St. Vincent’s said he has treated hundreds of patients with the new procedure since FDA approval in February.

Doctors use the device as a high-energy field to destroy tissue around the heart that causes atrial fibrillation, without the heating or cooling procedures that were previously common.

“The problem is that there are structures around the heart that can also be damaged during this process,” Oza said. “We have to be very careful that this does not happen if we use current technology.”

Oza believes this new form is more efficient and safer and expands the patient pool.

“It allows me to treat two ends of the spectrum,” Oza said. “Much healthier patients at an earlier stage of their atrial fibrillation. So the atrial fibrillation is detected earlier, which makes the procedure much more effective. It also allows me to treat patients who are much sicker that I would otherwise be reluctant to bring in for a procedure.”

Oza said this was a defining moment.

“Now that the risk is lower, we can actually get healthier patients into the lab at an earlier stage of disease,” Oza said. “That was a really pivotal moment. That’s kind of the holy grail we’ve been looking for.”

He said this is another way he wants to help patients live life to the fullest.

According to Oza, there are over 6 million atrial fibrillation patients in the United States and approximately 300,000 atrial fibrillation ablations performed each year.

The growth rate of atrial fibrillation ablation procedures has been 15% per year over the last decade.

He expects this growth rate to probably double in the next few years.