For those with atrial Fibrillation concerns...

[Andyrdj]

http://www.sjm.com/devices/device.aspx?name=Epicor™+Cardiac+Ablation+System&location=in&type=30

A device that seems to be able to perform ablation procedures without needing any surgery.

Comments about this would be welcomed.

 

[geebee]

Actually, if I read correctly, I think this device is used during a surgical procedure but does not require the heart to be opened or on bypass. It appears that it is applied to the outside of a beating heart but a surgeon still needs to have access to the heart which implies surgery of some kind.

 

[RCB]

Nothing new here

Nothing new here

This device has been iin use for several years. Dr. P. McCarthy of NW in Chicago has been using it with mixed results.
IMPORTANT NOTE!
This device is primarily used on pts. with lone AF. Pts who have had heart surgery are not a canidate for HIFU because it cannot be used if there
is any scar tissue present. This according to Dr. McCarthy.

 

[Andyrdj]

Blast!

Blast!

Shame, though it makes sense!

Is this true of just this device, or any surgical ablation procedure?

 

[RCB]

Shame, though it makes sense!

Is this true of just this device, or any surgical ablation procedure?

My understanding is the because this device is less invasive and works from the outside of the heart, the process is affected by scar tissue on the outside of the heart. Because Scar tissue has a different density than heart muscle, it is very hard to control the "Burn depth" of the focused HIFU. The problem is ( as with some other types of ablation) that you could burn a hole the heart muscle. Most other ablations are done with catheter device,placed against the inside of the heart chamber, where the density of tissue is more uniform. In the case when it is done with OHS, the surgeon can place the
tip of the energy probe directly on the inside walls of the heart and watch as it creates a lesion. Of course the Gold standard is still the cut and sew,Cox-Maze III procedure which is OHS.