New heart rhythm procedure helps DeLand woman return to her morning walks

AdventHealth Daytona Beach says the procedure was the first AFib ablation using Abbott’s Volt system in an ambulatory surgical setting in Central Florida.
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  • Sheri Hensley
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Four medical professionals in white coats stand with a patient seated on an exam table in a cardiology exam room; the patient smiles in the center while the care team poses beside him.
Cardiologist in a white coat stands beside a seated patient in an exam room, both smiling at the camera; the patient is sitting on an exam table wearing a “Monsters” T-shirt.
Dr. Marvin Lu, medical director of electrophysiology at AdventHealth Daytona Beach, stands with patient Regina Ryan following her A-fib ablation procedure using Abbott’s Volt pulse field ablation system.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Every morning, Regina Ryan laces up her shoes for a three-mile walk. But atrial fibrillation, or A-fib -- an irregular heartbeat that can throw the heart out of sync -- made that routine unpredictable.

The 65-year-old retired nurse from DeLand said her condition caused a racing heartbeat that started waking her from sleep and bringing on anxiety about when the next episode would hit.

“I just wanted to keep walking without feeling like my heart is beating out of my chest,” Ryan said.

Her cardiologist referred her to Dr. Marvin Lu, medical director of electrophysiology at AdventHealth Daytona Beach, to treat her irregular heart rhythm using a procedure called ablation.

Ryan’s case also marked a milestone. Lu said her procedure was the first A-fib ablation with Abbott’s Volt pulse field ablation system in an ambulatory surgical setting in Central Florida.

Volt works by sending short electrical pulses through a catheter to target the heart tissue causing the irregular rhythm, Lu said.

He said Volt is different from older ablation methods that use heat or cold to create scar tissue.

“Think of it like writing with a fine-point pen instead of a marker,” Lu said. “When you’re working inside the heart, precision is absolutely critical.”

Close-up of a cardiologist in a white coat holding a blue catheter device, with “Marvin Lu, MD Cardiac Electrophysiology” embroidered on the coat.
Dr. Marvin Lu, cardiac electrophysiologist at AdventHealth Daytona Beach, holds Abbott’s Volt pulse field ablation catheter used in A-fib treatment.

Alinx Thermidor, executive director of ambulatory services at AdventHealth Daytona Beach, said the ambulatory surgery center gives select patients a same-day option for care that does not require an overnight hospital stay.

“In the right case, that means patients can have the procedure, recover and head home the same day,” Thermidor said. “It is a good fit for people who do not need inpatient care but still need advanced cardiac treatment.”

AdventHealth Daytona Beach’s surgery center was built for outpatient heart care, with cardiology clinics, imaging, cardiac rehabilitation and procedures all in one place.

“For heart patients, that kind of coordination can make the whole process smoother,” Lu said. “It means testing, treatment and recovery can happen within the same medical setting.”

Less than three weeks after her surgery, Ryan resumed her morning routine and is back to walking three miles a day.

As a faith-based, not-for-profit health system, AdventHealth said it reinvests resources into care and services like the new Volt procedure to support local patients and families.

For Ryan, that meant another option for advanced heart care and a quicker return to the routine that starts her day.

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