When medical ingenuity outpaces bureaucracy

The government is not, and should not be, the final arbiter of medical progress. This is particularly true in the field of electrophysiology. Dr. Wes drives the point home as he comments on a New York Times article about government scrutiny of the profusion of devices and ablation procedures for atrial fibrillation:

The field of electrophysiology has a history of far-exceeding regulatory capabilities in the bureaucracy of government. Look at radiofrequency catheter ablation. If we hadn't moved from DC shock to radiofrequency energy sources, many, many more people would have been harmed during catheter ablation procedures. Doctors did this because it was safer for patients and less anxiety-provoking for them during the procedure - not because of governmental regulations.