Market and customers
client groups 2010
The expansion in healthcare to meet the increasing demand for ablation treatment has not occurred quickly enough, which has led to a difficult situation with queues in large parts of Europe.
Only in recent years has ablation become generally established and accepted under American and European guidelines as a method of treating atrial fibrillation. The most recent national guidelines for heart care recommend that ablation of atrial fibrillation be given high priority. Demand for this procedure is therefore expected to increase significantly over the next few years.
Today more than 150,000 Swedes suffer from an abnormal heart rhythm (arrhythmia). Lack of capacity means that current output in Sweden amounts to no more than around 600 ablation treatments for atrial fibrillation per year, which has led to year-long queues in some parts of the country. In addition to very long waiting times, heart care in Sweden is struggling today with a shortage of specialists and equipment for the treatment of conditions such as atrial fibrillation.