The heart treatment was used for the first time at McGill University Health Centre in Montreal.
Abbott announced on 15 September 2026 that its Volt Pulsed Field Ablation System was used for the first time commercially in Canada. Physicians at the McGill University Health Centre in Montreal applied the technology to treat patients with atrial fibrillation, a condition affecting between 500,000 and nearly one million Canadians.
The Volt system uses high-energy electrical pulses with a balloon-in-basket catheter design. It integrates with Abbott's EnSite X EP System to provide 3D cardiac mapping. The company noted that this setup delivers targeted energy with fewer catheter exchanges, lower radiation exposure, and the option for conscious sedation instead of general anesthesia.
Health Canada authorized the system in April 2026 following Abbott's VOLT-AF IDE clinical trial. That study evaluated 392 patients across 40 centres in the United States, Europe, Canada, and Australia, assessing safety and effectiveness in paroxysmal and persistent atrial fibrillation. The system is also approved and available in the United States, Europe, and Australia.
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