LOS ANGELES, April 4, 2003 (PRIMEZONE) -- Julio Garcia, professional driver from Arlington, Virginia; Cheryl Taylor, public relations professional from Montreal, Quebec; and Pantaleon Jesus Cortez Serrano, a construction worker from Clinton, Maryland, are the most recent cardiac patients to receive life-saving surgery through a $1 million grant bestowed by Guidant Corporation to The Larry King Cardiac Foundation (LKCF).
Approximately $60,000 worth of state-of-the-art medical devices provided by Guidant were utilized in these latest operations. Through the LKCF/Guidant collaboration, at-need patients identified by the Foundation receive state-of-the-art Guidant implantable medical devices as part of vital cardiac surgery.
The most dramatic of these procedures involved Guidant's ground-breaking CONTAK(r) RENEWAL(tm) device, the first CRT-D product commercially available in the United States that uses independent sensing and independent electrical stimulation to deliver appropriate therapy to both the left and right ventricles. A revolutionary treatment option for some patients suffering with heart failure, the CONTAK RENEWAL was used with Mr. Serrano (50), who had suffered from congestive heart failure as well as abnormal heart rhythm (ventricular tachycardia).
Cheryl Taylor (28), who had used a pacemaker since 1996, received a new Guidant pacemaker and revised atrial leads during her surgery at Weill Cornell Medical Center on February 14.
Julio Garcia (52) recently suffered a cardiac arrest episode. His procedure at George Washington University Hospital on February 24 was a catheterization with a Guidant stent.
The Larry King Cardiac Foundation was established in 1988 to provide funding for individuals who, due to limited means and inadequate insurance, would be otherwise unable to receive life-saving cardiac surgical procedures and post-surgical care. Funded by annual events as well as the proceeds from King's books and public speaking engagements, the Foundation works in conjunction with premier cardiac care medical centers and hospitals internationally to ensure that such patients receive needed medical attention.
Guidant Corporation pioneers life-saving technology, giving an opportunity for better life to millions of cardiac and vascular patients worldwide. To date, more than seven million patients have been treated with Guidant products. The company, driven by a strong entrepreneurial culture of 11,000 employees, develops, manufactures and markets a broad array of products and services that enable less invasive care for some of life's most threatening medical conditions. For more information visit www.guidant.com.
For additional information about The Larry King Cardiac Foundation, call 888/256-7706 or visit www.lkcf.org.