September 19, 2007 - MedicalCV Inc. announced that the first closed-chest, beating heart cardiac ablation using the SOLAR Surgical Ablation System was performed, marking a growing trend in minimally invasive surgical ablation.
J. Crayton Pruitt, M.D., a cardiothoracic surgeon at Cardiac Surgical Associates in Florida, completed the procedure at Morton Plant Hospital in Clearwater, Florida. "After completing the pulmonary vein isolation, I was especially pleased that I was able to demonstrate exit block, which has been somewhat elusive with other technologies in the past," said Dr. Pruitt.
The SOLAR System received FDA clearance for the ablation or coagulation of soft tissue in March 2007. This builds on previous clearances for the company’s ATRILAZE System for the delivery of laser light to soft tissue, including cardiac tissue, during surgical procedures. However, the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias is specifically excluded for both ablation systems.
For more information: www.medcvinc.com