Healthcare Industry News: ATRILAZE
News Release - November 29, 2006
MedicalCV, Inc. Announces Completion of 1st AtriLaze(TM) Closed-Chest, Robotic Cardiac Ablation Procedure
MINNEAPOLIS--(HSMN NewsFeed)--MedicalCV, Inc. (OTCBB:MCVI ), www.medcvinc.com, announced today that Allen R. Raczkowski, M.D., a cardiothoracic surgeon at Banner Baywood Heart Hospital in Mesa, Arizona, completed the first closed-chest, robotic procedure using the ATRILAZE(TM) Surgical Ablation System to treat atrial fibrillation in conjunction with a minimally invasive mitral valve repair."By leveraging both the focused, coherent energy and the low profile, flexible fiber optic wand of the ATRILAZE System, I was able to create the precise lesion sets in the left atrium in a closed-chest setting with robotic assistance," said Dr. Raczkowski, a pioneer in minimally invasive cardiac surgery. "The patient has done quite well, post-operatively; he has been discharged from the hospital is currently experiencing normal heart rhythm."
Marc P. Flores, President and CEO of MedicalCV commented, "This closed-chest, robotic procedure represents a unique application of the ATRILAZE wand-based technology platform, and it further demonstrates its inherent advantages in cardiac tissue ablation." Flores added, "The combination of our flexible fiber optic wand and focused, coherent energy delivery system affords surgeons an opportunity to provide patients with an exciting, less invasive solution for cardiac tissue ablation today. We are gratified by both the outcome of this procedure and the opportunity to partner with this innovative physician to provide superior patient care. As we look forward to the anticipated launch of our minimally invasive system, we expect to increase our procedural activity in the coming months."
According to recent articles published in Circulation (2006;114:119-125) and Value in Health (2006 Sep-Oct;9(5):348-56), there are more than 5 million Americans with atrial fibrillation, or AF. In addition to being the most common heart arrhythmia in the United States, AF is associated with increased risk of stroke, heart failure, cognitive dysfunction, and premature death. It is estimated that the direct costs of AF are more than $6.6 billion in the U.S. alone and that the number of patients with AF will spiral to more than 12 million Americans by the year 2050.
About MedicalCV, Inc.
MedicalCV, Inc., a cardiovascular surgery device manufacturer, focuses on the development and introduction of products designed to improve patient outcomes through the early treatment of cardiovascular disorders and disease, specifically products used by cardiac surgeons to ablate cardiac tissue as a potential means to treat atrial fibrillation. The Company's core technology is the ATRILAZE(TM) Surgical Ablation System for use in cardiac tissue ablation procedures in open-heart surgery. The Company's common stock is traded on the OTC Bulletin Board under the symbol "MCVI.OB."
This release contains certain forward-looking statements of expected future developments, as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The forward-looking statements in this release refer to our expectations regarding our development and commercialization of products for the minimally invasive treatment of atrial fibrillation. These forward-looking statements reflect management's expectations and are based on currently available data; however, actual results are subject to future risks and uncertainties, which could materially affect actual performance. Risks and uncertainties that could affect such performance include, but are not limited to, the following: our ability to fund significant capital needs for commercialization of the ATRILAZE System; widespread adoption of minimally invasive techniques for the treatment of atrial fibrillation through ablation; the time and costs involved in obtaining clinical data to support widespread use of our products; competing ablation technologies and new pharmacological compounds for treating arrhythmias; and dependence upon governmental reimbursements for cardiac procedures. For more detailed information about these risks and uncertainties, please review our Current Report on Form 10-KSB, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 20, 2006.
These events and uncertainties are difficult or impossible to predict accurately and many are beyond our control. We assume no obligation to publicly release the results of any revisions that may be made to any forward-looking statements to reflect events or uncertainties after the date of such statements or to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events.
For further information on MedicalCV, Inc., please visit www.medcvinc.com.
Source: MedicalCV
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