As you age, an irregular heartbeat can be the sign that you need to have something addressed. A new minimally invasive procedure is seeing major success at a Syracuse hospital.

Atrial fibrillation, an electrical issue in the heart, is the most common heart rhythm disorder seen in adults, according to Dr. Ali Al-Mudamgha, St. Joseph's Health Hospital's director of electrophysiology.

Symptoms vary from patient to patient. The most effective treatment to date is called catheter ablation, Al-Mudamgha said. But it comes with risks and challenges, he added, and doesn’t work for everyone.

Patrick Hayes, 75, was not able to be as active as he normally was due to atrial fibrillation. His first ablation surgery did not work.

“I walk through 3-4 miles every day," Hayes said. "I like to walk briskly; for that month or two, it was just different. I had irregular heartbeats, very uncomfortable, short of breath and light headed.”

A system called Farapulse, which uses electrical fields to target specific tissue areas in the heart causing atrial fibrillation, is addressing more difficult ablation needs.

Al-Mudamgha says he has done 10-15 procedures a week since August, when the system was first put into use at St. Joseph's. He noted that for some people, the previous method has an 80% success rate. Hayes is one of the 20% who didn't benefit from it.

Hayes compared the Farapulse procedure to the ease of a colonoscopy - no pain, no swelling, and he had a bandage on for two days.

“The procedure averages about ... 30 to 35 minutes," Al-Mudamgha said. "They go home three hours after the procedure, and typically they're at full activity two days after the ablation.”

Hayes said he's had no symptoms for the last two months.

Farapulse is also available currently at St. Peter’s Hospital in Albany, Rochester Medical Center, Rochester General Hospital and Gates Vascular Institute in Buffalo.