Pulsed field ablation (PFA) has experienced a meteoric rise in popularity within the electrophysiology market. Compared with other existing treatment methods, PFA provides faster recovery times for patients, shorter hospital stays, and faster procedure times. However, this rapid growth has come at the expense of other existing treatment options, such as cryoablation and radiofrequency ablation (RFA). Cryoablation has been widely replaced by PFA in countries where PFA catheters have been approved, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

According to the GlobalData market analyzer, cryoablation catheters were worth $511.8 million in 2024. By 2026, this number is expected to decrease by over 50%. The PFA market, by comparison, was worth $1.9 billion in 2024 and is estimated to be worth over $5.7 billion in 2026. Other types of catheters, such as RFA catheters, are expected to remain steady in their revenues.

David Beauchamp, Medical Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “In addition to the differences in patient outcomes between cryoablation and PFA, the average cost of a cryoablation catheter is nearly the same as that of a PFA catheter, making it difficult for hospitals and healthcare systems to justify using them over PFA catheters.”

Historically, a major advantage of cryoablation was its usage of cold instead of heat to damage the electrical pathways in the heart. This offered physicians a method to lessen damage to sensitive areas of the heart, and even reverse procedural damage if the need arose. However, PFA offers a completely nonthermal method to treat similar arrhythmias, eliminating a key advantage of cryoablation. In addition, PFA remains faster and quicker for patients than cryoablation.

Beauchamp concludes:“Currently, the market outlook for cryoablation catheters is poor. Without significant innovation in these devices or a drop in price, it is unlikely that cryoablation catheters will be able to compete with PFA, especially as more and more companies shift away from cryoablation in favor of PFA. As PFA becomes increasingly widespread, the cryoablation device market may be completely overtaken by these new, more effective catheters.”