MORRISVILLE, N.C., Dec. 4, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Arrhythmia and Electrophysiology Review has published an article that reviews the importance of the Convergent Procedure in addressing the large patient population suffering from persistent and longstanding persistent atrial fibrillation (AF). AF is the most common cardiac arrhythmia, estimated to affect 5.9 million people in the U.S., with a majority of patients falling into the difficult-to-treat persistent AF population. This article discusses the key differentiators of the multidisciplinary, closed-chest Convergent Procedure, the crucial role of standardization for consistent results, and the importance of comprehensive care in addressing healthcare economics.
"We have adopted the Convergent Procedure as a first-line treatment in this difficult persistent AF patient population," stated James McKinnie, MD, Director Arrhythmia Center East Jefferson General Hospital and West Jefferson Medical Center, Metairie, LA. "In our center, we have performed close to 100 Convergent Procedures in the last 2 years, and we continue to see compelling single-procedure results, with greater than 80% of patients in sinus rhythm. These outcomes are consistent with several recent publications from institutions in the U.S. and Europe, and highlight the positive impact of a standardized, multidisciplinary ablation protocol that isolates the posterior."
The multidisciplinary Convergent Procedure is performed as a single procedure in the electrophysiology lab. The epicardial lesions are created first under direct endoscopic visualization by a surgeon, through a 2 cm incision in the abdomen, with no chest incisions or ports. The endocardial lesions created by an electrophysiologist help confirm lesion set completeness through specialized EP diagnostics, which also predict outcomes.
Dr. McKinnie continued, "The Convergent Procedure also helps to address the larger clinical and economic burdens in the treatment of persistent AF patients. By providing a multidisciplinary procedure for this challenging patient population, we have been able to reduce our rehospitalization rates. The upcoming CONVERGE IDE Clinical Trial, the first head-to-head superiority study comparing the Convergent Procedure to endocardial ablation, will validate the recently published single-center outcomes. This trial will also explore pre- and post-procedure hospitalization rates, addressing the potential impact of this new treatment on healthcare system savings."
About nContact, Inc.
nContact's mission is to transform the underserved arrhythmia market through the advancement of less invasive ablation alternatives for cardiac arrhythmias. The Company's lead technology, EPi-Sense™ Coagulation System with VisiTrax®, has CE Mark approval in Europe for the coagulation of cardiac tissue in the treatment of atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter. The EPi-Sense Coagulation System with VisiTrax is indicated for endoscopic coagulation of cardiac tissue in the U.S. nContact was founded in 2005 and is headquartered in Morrisville, North Carolina, USA.