In The News

AtriCure device shows promise in treating Atrial fibrillation

June 24, 2013  |  AtriCure device shows promise in treating Atrial fibrillation
AtriCure

By Tristan Navera, Dayton Business Journal

A device produced by a local medical research company is showing promise in treating a serious heart condition.

The Isolator Bipolar RF Ablation System, developed by West Chester-based AtriCure Inc., was showcased at a Prague physician’s trade show after physicians at Sana Heart Center in Stuttgart, Germany, found it had a significant success rate as a treatment for Atrial fibrillation, a common heart rhythm disorder.

In a study of 121 patients from 2009 to 2013, 80 percent of them were free from the disorder and off anti-arrhythmic medications three years later. In a release, physicians noted that surgeries to repair electrical pathways in the heart to correct the problem are often successful, but chronic forms of the disorder often continue even after multiple surgeries.

“During the study, there were no deaths, no conversions to sternotomy and no early or late strokes. The data showed that 80 percent of patients were free from Afib three years after their procedures, and 80 percent were free from both Afib and anti-arrhythmic drugs three years after surgery. Quality of life improvements were shown to increase significantly from preoperative assessments,” according to a release.

AtriCure has a line of products with the Isolator name focused on RF ablation. According to a release, the products are aimed at less invasive methods of cardiac surgery.

The company, which develops and manufactures cardiac surgical ablation systems for the treatment of Atrial fibrillation and systems for the exclusion of the left atrial appendage, has 250 employees, including 180 in the Dayton region, according to Dayton Business Journal research.