ESTECH announced today that the first simultaneous surgical and
catheter based atrial fibrillation (AF) procedure was performed by
Mark La Meir, M.D., a Cardiac Surgeon, and Laurent Pison, M.D., an
Electrophysiologist (EP), in Maastricht, Netherlands. Working side by
side in their newly opened Hybrid Room (Catheterization
Laboratory/Operating Room), they easily created an effective lesion
set on the heart around the pulmonary veins using the ESTECH COBRA
Adhere XL(TM) device, which resulted in the patient immediately
converting to a normal heart rhythm. The patient was then mapped via
EP catheters. Additional ablation lesions inside the heart were made
with a temperature controlled catheter based procedure through the
femoral vein to optimize the long term outcome of the patient. The
hybrid procedure was successful in removing the electrical triggers
causing the AF and blocking the electrical path that propagates the
electrical signals thus restoring a normal controlled heart rhythm.
Dr. La Meir has been an innovator in the area of minimally
invasive AF Surgery and has strived to develop an operation where the
highest cure rate is possible using the safest and most effective
technology. Dr. La Meir commented: "With the COBRA Adhere XL
technology, we have taken the proven success of this very precise
temperature controlled radiofrequency ablation technology and applied
it in the least invasive way possible. Using this hybrid approach, we
are able to obtain real time feedback that allows immediate resolution
to any procedural challenges."
Dr. Pison went on to comment: "This hybrid procedure brings
together the best aspects of both the Catheter Lab and the Surgical
Suite. We now have access to a proven surgically applied lesion on the
heart with the best diagnostic technology available. This innovative
technique creates a very efficacious procedure."
The ESTECH COBRA technology is known for its superior success
rates in treating AF which is documented at 82% for patients two to
three years post treatment. Steve Geyster, VP and Managing Director
for Europe, announced: "ESTECH will further support the initiation of
Hybrid and Minimally Invasive Ablation efforts and will monitor the
effectiveness of this procedure with the COBRA AFfirm Registry. This
registry program will follow data collection guidelines recently
established by the Heart Rhythm Society and utilize the COBRA
AFfirm(TM) Bipolar Pacing Probe for assessing the effectiveness of the
procedure."
About ESTECH
Headquartered in San Ramon, CA, ESTECH offers tools for least
invasive techniques and traditional approaches to the procedures
cardiac surgeons do every day--coronary artery bypass, valve surgery,
ablation and surgical treatment of congestive heart failure. AF
affects more than 2.5 million Americans which increases risk of stroke
by 20-25%. The COBRA Adhere XL is indicated for AF in Europe. The
COBRA Adhere XL is indicated for cardiac ablation in the United
States.