Expanding access to advanced AFib care
More than 20 million people in India are living with atrial fibrillation (AFib), a heart rhythm disorder that increases the risk of stroke, heart failure and other serious health complications. But now, patients in India have access to a groundbreaking treatment thanks in part to the expertise of Dr. Jasbir Sra.
Dr. Sra, a cardiac electrophysiologist, recently taught physicians in India to perform the first-ever pulsed field ablation (PFA) procedure in the country. PFA is one of the newest advances in electrophysiology, the specialty focused on treating heart rhythm disorders. The technology uses electrical pulses to treat the heart tissue responsible for abnormal rhythms. Unlike traditional ablation procedures that use heat or cold, PFA targets specific heart cells while minimizing effects on surrounding tissue.
While the recent procedure marked a historic cardiac care milestone in India, the achievement reflects decades of innovation led by Dr. Sra and the heart and vascular team at Aurora St. Luke’s Medical Center. In 2024, he performed Wisconsin’s first PFA procedure, bringing the technology to patients closer to home before sharing it internationally.
A lifetime of pioneering work
Dr. Sra’s medical journey began in India before advanced training in the U.K. and the U.S. He later completed electrophysiology (EP) fellowship training under Dr. Masood Akhtar, a pioneer in the field and a former electrophysiologist at Aurora Sinai Medical Center.
Over the course of his career, Dr. Sra has trained generations of cardiologists and electrophysiologists. He helped build one of the largest cardiovascular training programs in the country, with 31 fellows across cardiovascular services and six EP fellows annually, who go on to care for patients across the country and around the world.
“Combining education, research and clinical work makes for a nearly perfect department, in my opinion,” Dr. Sra says, describing the nationally and internationally renowned program.
He also participates in international teaching programs, educational conferences and physician training initiatives. Alongside the first two EP physicians from India trained at Auroa St. Luke’s, he helped establish an implantable defibrillator program in India. This led to the first implantable defibrillator in the Indian subcontinent in a young mother who suffered cardiac arrest after giving birth to her son.
He continues to lead educational efforts that reach hundreds of cardiology and EP fellows each year and regularly collaborates with physicians across the globe.
A milestone achievement
Notably, in India, the patient to undergo PFA was a physician, underscoring the confidence medical professionals have in the new technology and the experts performing the intervention.
Describing his experience, Dr. SP Singh says, “As a physician, I understood the risks of the other procedures and the advantage of PFA as an advanced treatment option. Being the first patient in India to undergo pulsed field ablation, I had complete confidence in Dr. Sra’s expertise and his team. It was reassuring to receive a treatment that has the potential to improve care for millions of patients in the future.”
“Prior procedures could take up to three or four hours, but PFA can be done in one. Patients also typically go home the same day,” Dr. Sra adds. “This is beneficial for anyone receiving this treatment, whether in India or the U.S.”
As AFib affects millions of people, advancements like PFA and the ongoing work of physician educators such as Dr. Sra are expanding access to specialized care and improving outcomes for patients globally.
If you experience symptoms of AFib – a racing or irregular heartbeat, fatigue, shortness of breath, dizziness or heart palpitations – talk with your doctor about available treatment options.
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