New treatment method for atrial fibrillation

Doctors at Helios Hospitals note that with the growth of the coronavirus pandemic, the severity of heart attacks has increased, while the number of patients undergoing treatment for heart attacks in hospitals has decreased dramatically.

For the first time ever in Europe, medical professionals of the Heart Center Leipzig have used the ultrasound renal denervation to treat uncontrolled hypertension outside of clinical trials. Several studies show that the procedure lowers a patient’s blood pressure, making it a promising adjunctive therapy in the fight against a common medical condition.

The cardiology department in the Helios University Hospital Wuppertal is certified as Interregional Heart Failure Unit by the German Cardiology Society (DKG). Following an intensive review, the German Society of Cardiology (DKG) has granted certification for the state-of-the-art concept with which the Wuppertal Heart Center treats patients with cardiac insufficiency.

At Helios Hospital Berlin-Buch, a catheter ablation was performed with the help of a cardiac MRI. For the first time, a team of cardiologists paired the standard procedure of catheter ablation with cardiac MRI. This new procedure promises to improve the treatment of complex cardiac arrhythmias in the future by providing real-time imaging and more precise treatment of cardiac tissue. The head of the Heart Rhythm Center Berlin/Brandenburg at Helios Hospital Berlin-Buch, Dr. med. Michael Wiedemann, explains the innovative procedure in an interview.

The Rhythmology Department headed by Dr. med. Armin Sause is the first clinic in the Bergisches Land region to be certified as an "Atrial Fibrillation Center" by the German Society of Cardiology. The certification requires very good personnel, equipment and organizational facilities.

After a COVID-19 infection, many people find that they do not regain their fitness properly. Some notice heart palpitations or palpitations in addition to impaired performance. "Has the COVID-19 infection left its mark?" people wonder. An MRI of the heart, known as a cardio-MRI, is recommended in accordance with the international guidelines for cardiac medicine, particularly if myocarditis is suspected.

The cardiology department at Helios Hospital Bonn/Rhein-Sieg opens two new cardiac catheterization laboratories after several months of construction. Patients with coronary artery disease, acute myocardial infarction, arrhythmias or valvular heart disease can be optimally treated in the large procedure rooms with state-of-the-art imaging.

Today, the Heart Center Leipzig opened its expanded and modernized Chest Pain Unit (CPU) together with a Syncope and Rhythm Unit after previous renovation work. Colloquially known as the chest pain outpatient clinic, the certified Chest Pain Unit is available around the clock for cardiac emergencies.

The Heart Center at Helios Hospital Siegburg is a new certified atrial fibrillation center. The certificate is awarded by the German Society of Cardiology - Cardiovascular Research (DKG) and confirms the hospital's high therapeutic standards in the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias. The Siegburg Heart Center is one of around 70 centers nationwide to be awarded this quality mark.

Prof. Dr. med. Marc Vorpahl, a highly experienced cardiologist, joined the senior medical management team of Cardiology, Rhythmology and Angiology on October 1, 2023. The 48-year-old moved from Helios University Hospital Wuppertal to the Heart Center in Siegburg. He succeeds Prof. Dr. med. Peter Boekstegers.

Prof. Dr. Marc Vorpahl has been the new Head of Cardiology, Rhythmology and Angiology at Helios Hospital Siegburg since October 1. In this interview, he explains what particularly fascinates him about the cardiology department and what he focuses on in his work for the Siegburg Heart Center.

As one of 22 centers in Germany, Helios St. Anna Klinik is now accredited by the German Society of Cardiology (DGK) - Cardiovascular Research e. V. as a "site for additional qualification in cardiac computed tomography". 

Dr. med. Michael Ulbrich has recently joined the cardiology team at the Helios Amper-Hospital Dachau as medical director. The award-winning expert in cardiac arrhythmias brings a wealth of experience with him.

Helios Hospital Schwerin has been awarded the title of "Cardiac Arrest Center". This confirms the hospital's high level of expertise in the treatment of cardiac arrest.  

What sounds unusual at first is actually a new therapy method in cardiology. The Helios Hospital in Schwerin has used it for the first time in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania to treat high blood pressure, which previously could not be controlled despite therapy.

Heart Center Leipzig and Leipzig University Hospital have successfully applied a new treatment method to a patient with a potentially life-threatening cardiac arrhythmia. In what is known as "stereotactic arrhythmia radioablation" (STAR), the affected tissue is treated in a state-of-the-art procedure using high-dose radiation with maximum precision in order to reduce the electrical excitability of this area. The two clinics intend to offer this new procedure jointly in the future.

After contracting Covid-19, 37-year-old pediatrician Ewelina Niewiadomska complains of palpitations. After months of complaints, the patient was referred to the Heart Rhythm Center at Helios Hospital Berlin-Buch with life-threatening cardiac arrhythmia. There she was successfully treated by the head of the center and cardiologist Dr. Michael Wiedemann. Since then, the young mother's heart has been beating at the right rhythm again.

At the beginning of the year, Prof. Dr. med. Sebastian Kufner joined the management team of the Clinic for Cardiology and Internal Intensive Care Medicine at Helios Hospital München West. With his expertise in the fields of interventional cardiology and intensive care medicine, he strengthens the clinic as a supra-regional focus of care for cardiovascular diseases.

As a specialist clinic for cardiovascular diseases and the only certified, supra-regional EMAH center in Central Germany, Heart Center Leipzig has been treating children and adults with congenital heart defects (EMAH) since it was founded. The range of services is now being expanded together with the Helios Park-Hospital Leipzig: EMAH patients can also receive comprehensive and safe treatment for non-cardiac diseases in Leipzig thanks to the specialist expertise of both clinics.

The Leipzig Heart Center is among the few clinics that are able to offer specialized treatment to patients with persistent atrial fibrillation. Thoracoscopic ablation serves as an alternative or adjunct therapy when conventional ablation procedures have failed to achieve long-term improvement. Only six clinics nationwide in Germany provide this specialized procedure. At the Leipzig Heart Center, specialists in cardiac electrophysiology and cardiac surgery work closely together in an interdisciplinary collaboration.

For many years, Mrs. Zimmer lived with symptoms that increasingly shaped her daily life: recurrent dizziness, sudden heart palpitations, and a vague feeling of weakness that severely limited her quality of life. Numerous medical consultations, multiple diagnoses, and the hope for improvement through two cardiac catheterizations with stent implantations—even in different clinics outside Bavaria—initially brought no lasting change.

The German Heart Foundation has appointed Dr. Ryszard Wesolowski to its Scientific Advisory Board. Dr. Wesolowski is the Chief Physician of Cardiology / Internal Intensive Care Medicine at the Helios Mariahilf Hospital in Hamburg. The cardiology specialist will support the patient organization’s voluntary committee with his scientific expertise in the future.

University Professor Dr. med. Holger Thiele, Deputy Medical Director and Director of the University Hospital for Cardiology – Helios Endowed Professorship at the Heart Center Leipzig, will be honored twice in 2026: with the Paul Morawitz Prize of the German Cardiac Society and with the ACVC Lifetime Research Award in Memory of Magda Heras.

Following its initial certification in 2023, the cardiology department of Helios Hospital Pforzheim has been recertified by the German Cardiac Society as a specialized heart failure treatment center (Heart Failure Unit, HFU).

Prof. Dr. Ilka Ott, Chief Physician of Cardiology, is one of only a few specialists in minimally invasive heart valve repair. Since 2018, she has been offering these particularly gentle procedures for patients with heart valve insufficiency at Helios Hospital Pforzheim. Recently, she presented the implantation of a so-called TriClip at the annual meeting of the German Cardiac Society.

The Chest Pain Unit is a specialized emergency department for patients presenting with unexplained chest pain. Its primary goal is to rapidly and reliably rule out myocardial infarction or other life-threatening conditions, or to initiate the necessary treatment immediately. The Department of Cardiology at Helios Hospital Schwelm has once again been awarded the prestigious quality seal of the German Cardiac Society.

Temperatures above 30°C, intense sunshine, and high humidity can place considerable strain on the body. Older adults, children, people with chronic conditions, pregnant women, and those who work outdoors should be especially mindful of their health. Helios St. Elisabeth Hospital Bad Kissingen advises people not to underestimate the effects of heat and to take preventive measures early to protect their health.

Heart Center Leipzig operates ten ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) systems — advanced heart-lung machines that temporarily take over the function of the heart and lungs. These highly specialised medical devices are typically available only at major tertiary care centres. What many hospitals do not know is that the ECMO systems can also be transported from Heart Center Leipzig to other hospitals. Together with an experienced physician and a perfusionist, the equipment is transported by emergency medical services to the requesting hospital. There, the mobile ECMO team can provide life-saving support for patients whose condition is so critical that all other life-saving treatment options have already been exhausted.

In April 2026, Helios Hospital Berlin-Buch launched a collaboration between the Department of Geriatrics and the Department of Cardiology and Nephrology, aimed at improving interdisciplinary care for older patients with specific cardiovascular conditions. By combining expertise in cardiology and geriatrics, the hospital is now even better equipped to address the specific needs of this patient group and provide them with comprehensive medical care.

To provide patients with modern treatment options, Helios Vogtland Hospital Plauen is expanding its range of cardiology services to include Pulsed Field Ablation (PFA). This new technology for treating atrial fibrillation is considered particularly precise and minimally invasive.