Banner – University Medicine Physician and College Faculty Member Leads U.S. Early Feasibility Efforts in Treating Complex Heart Rhythm Disorders

Ventricular arrhythmia is an abnormal heart rhythm that affects the lower chambers of the heart, which are responsible for pumping blood throughout the body. These arrhythmias are most common in people with underlying heart conditions and tend to become more frequent with age.

Peter Weiss, MD, associate clinical professor of Internal Medicine at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix and director of the Center for Ventricular Arrhythmias and Robotics, is actively leading efforts to improve treatment options for patients with complex ventricular arrhythmias through innovative medical device research. Dr. Weiss is also a cardiac electrophysiologist at Banner – University Medical Center Phoenix. 

“Unlike many electrophysiologists, I spend the vast majority of my time treating ventricular arrhythmias,” Dr. Weiss explained. “My focus is on helping patients with the most challenging rhythm disorders using both established and cutting-edge therapies.”

Dr. Weiss and his team were recently one of only four centers in the United States selected to perform early U.S. procedures using a new ultra-cold cryoablation system, a device designed specifically to treat difficult ventricular arrhythmias. “What really set our team apart was two things,” Dr. Weiss said. “First, our experience and reputation in treating complex ventricular arrhythmias. Second, we were able to restructure the typical research process at the U of A and Banner to achieve rapid study approval, including contracting and IRB approvals, which often slow studies down.”

The ultra-cold cryoablation system works by freezing the heart tissue at extremely low temperatures, creating lesions deep enough to interrupt the abnormal electrical circuits that cause arrhythmias. Traditional ablation techniques were often ineffective in the ventricles because the heart muscle is significantly thicker than in the upper chambers. “Using near-critical liquid nitrogen, we can achieve temperatures of more than negative 180 degrees, allowing us to treat arrhythmias that were previously very difficult to reach,” Dr. Weiss explained.

The team enrolled nine of the 20 patients treated during the study, demonstrating both efficiency and dedication to patient care. “It’s important that we can offer our patients the latest technologies,” Dr. Weiss said. “This is an example of how we can prepare the ecosystem for more early-stage studies in electrophysiology here in the U.S.”

Conducting early feasibility studies in the U.S. has historically been challenging due to regulatory and legal hurdles, but Dr. Weiss notes that Banner has streamlined the process. “The real challenge is typically us, the clinical centers,” he said. “By improving contracting, IRB approvals and internal processes, we’ve been able to get these studies off the ground in two to three months — rather than the usual six to twelve months.”

This work is made possible through the strong academic partnership between the University of Arizona and Banner Health, which enables collaboration across clinical care, education and research.

Participation in such studies not only gives patients access to cutting-edge technology but also positions the hospital as a leader in cardiac device innovation. “This is a tremendous opportunity for us to be one of the premier centers in the U.S. for early-stage electrophysiology studies,” Dr. Weiss said. “It allows us to offer our patients new technology sooner and sets us up for future studies that can further advance the field.”

Dr. Weiss’s study has been accepted for publication in Circulation: Arrhythmia and Electrophysiology (CIRCAE), one of the most prestigious and widely read journals in cardiac electrophysiology.

Looking ahead, Dr. Weiss sees continued opportunities for early feasibility studies and expanded patient access to innovative treatments. “There are several new devices now entering early U.S. feasibility studies, including next-generation leadless pacemakers,” he said. “Our goal is to make Banner a go-to center for these studies, continuing to provide our patients with the most advanced care possible.”

Through Dr. Weiss’s leadership, the College of Medicine – Phoenix and the hospital are leading advances in ventricular arrhythmia care, combining clinical expertise, innovation, and research to improve outcomes for patients with some of the most challenging heart rhythm disorders.