Mitralign Successfully Completes First Human Case

Main Category: Cardiovascular / Cardiology
Article Date: 07 Feb 2008 - 3:00 PDT

email to a friend   printer friendly   view / write opinions   rate article

Mitralign, Inc. announced that it successfully performed its first implantation of the Mitralign Percutaneous Annuloplasty System(TM) for mitral valve repair at French Hospital in Asuncion, Paraguay. The patient was treated by an experienced medical team led by Adrian Ebner, MD of the French Hospital and Lutz Buellesfeld, MD of Helios Heart Center, Siegburg, Germany. The Mitralign System was able to remodel the valve and reduce the patient's mitral regurgitation from 3+ to 2+, 24 hours after the procedure based on core lab assessment. The patient spent less than 48 hours in the hospital after the procedure and continues to do well at home.

The Mitralign System emulates the open surgical procedure of suture-based mitral annuloplasty. The implant was percutaneously delivered though a single 14F femoral arterial sheath, and provides direct geometric reduction of the posterior annulus. Dr. Ebner commented on the system's clear impact on the mitral valve geometry. "I have been involved with a number of mitral valve repair approaches; this approach is most exciting because it delivers on its promise to affect the valve on demand." The case will be presented at two conferences this month, Cardiovascular Revascularization Therapies in Washington DC, by Prof. Dr. med. Eberhard Grube and the Joint Interventional Meeting, in Rome, Italy by Paul Teirstein, MD.

The condition treated, mitral valve regurgitation (MR), is common in patients with Congestive Heart Failure (CHF). Clinical studies have proven that MR significantly increases the risk of mortality in patients afflicted with CHF, a disease affecting 25 Million worldwide. Studies hence recommend earlier treatment of MR in these patients.

Combining surgical precision with interventional therapy, Mitralign is developing an innovative, catheter-based method to effectively treat mitral regurgitation in patients suffering from Congestive Heart Failure. Mitralign's goal is to emulate the technique employed in traditional open heart surgery but in a far less invasive manner.

http://www.mitralign.com