Convergent procedure promising for longstanding persistent atrial fibrillation

nContact Surgical, Inc. (nContact) announced today the presentation of data collected from 43 patients as a result of a closed chest convergent atrial fibrillation (AF) procedure at the Heart Rhythm Society 2010 Conference in Denver, Colorado.  Results reported from Dr. Di Biase et al. indicated that the Convergent procedure, which combines epicardial and endocardial ablation via a minimally invasive, fully closed chest approach, enabled 81% of the longstanding persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) patients to be free of arrhythmia recurrence following an initial blanking period of three months.

The podium session, titled "Long Term Results of the Convergent Endo- Epicardial Ablation Procedure for the Treatment of Longstanding Persistent Atrial Fibrillation," examined the data, which involved 43 longstanding persistent patients who had been in AF an average of eight years and who had enlarged left atria (over 5 cm).  Patients were treated utilizing the Convergent Procedure, which combined Electrophysiologist (EP) catheter and cardiac surgical techniques via a minimally invasive, closed chest approach.  The procedure also incorporated diagnostic endocardial mapping technology to ensure complete bi-atrial ablation and to confirm procedural endpoints.  

Dr. Andrea Natale, Executive Director of the Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute at St. David's Medical Center in Austin, Texas, commented, "Considering this has been the most difficult patient population to treat, the results are encouraging, and potentially represent a viable treatment option for longstanding persistent atrial fibrillation."

Dr. Rodney Horton, Director of Research, Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute at St. David's Medical Center said, "One of the most encouraging aspects of this combined approach is that it can be performed in a single setting [EP lab], without chest incisions, in about three hours. Additional data is needed to test the efficacy, and St. David's is excited to participate in the first IDE evaluating a stand alone, closed chest procedure for longstanding persistent AF."