Devices Cardiology

 News Release - September 12, 2008

Sorin Group Announces First Successful Uses of New Pediatric Oxygenator and Arterial Filter at Children's Medical Center Dallas

Top U.S. Hospital Successfully Uses Pediatric Oxygenator During Cardiac Surgery For Children

DENVER--(HSMN NewsFeed)--The Sorin Group (MIL:SRN), the largest European cardiovascular company and world leader in medical technologies for cardiac surgery, announced today the first successful uses in the U.S. of its newest pediatric devices for cardiovascular surgery. The DidecoTM KIDS D101 Pediatric Oxygenator and the DidecoTM KIDS D131 Pediatric Arterial Filter have now been successfully used by Children’s Medical Center Dallas during dozens of cardiac surgery procedures for pediatrics.

The Dideco KIDS D101 oxygenator provides pediatric patients with a dedicated artificial lung for short term use during surgery. Designed to minimize hemodilution and reduce foreign surface area exposure, the D101 is specially proportioned to the pediatric patient. Its low surface area results in a more balanced oxygen and carbon dioxide transfer, and the innovative D101 design has the low priming volume of 87 mls while addressing the cardiopulmonary bypass needs of pediatric patients.

“With this new addition, our pediatric family of perfusion systems is optimized for an extremely large range of patients, delivering unprecedented clinical flexibility for perfusionists and improved safety for their patients,” said Michel Darnaud, President, Cardiopulmonary Business Unit and Intercontinental, Sorin Group.

Ronald Gorney, PA-C, CCP, the chief perfusionist at Children’s Medical Center Dallas, used the D101 in the open-heart, modified Fontan operation. Gorney and the surgical team were the first in the nation to use the Dideco D101 oxygenator. “The Dideco oxygenator is advanced in its ability to keep the patient alive by replacing lung function,” he said. “Because the device is specific to the pediatric patient, it is an ideal component to cardiovascular surgery for children.”

The veteran perfusionist said that 30 years ago most children with congenital heart defects would not have lived without this cardiac surgery. One of every 100 babies in the U.S. is born with a heart defect. Many die in infancy. But with advances in cardiac technology and life-saving devices like the Dideco D101 and D131, young patients with heart defects have a very hopeful future.

The Dideco KIDS D131 Pediatric Arterial Filter is designed to remove potentially harmful gaseous emboli, aggregated blood constituents and particulate debris greater than 40 microns from the arterial line. Gorney recently used the D131 on a patient weighing 19.4 kg. “Because their size is matched to the patient, incorporating the D101 and D131 in a recent Atrial Septal Defect surgery provided an alternative to a blood transfusion”, Gorney said. “It is often requested that the operating physician avoid blood transfusions, and using devices designed specifically for pediatric patients makes it possible”, he continued.

The Sorin Group’s family of FDA-cleared pediatric oxygenators and arterial filters help physicians and surgical teams realize a better solution in cardiac surgery for children.

The Dideco KIDS D101 Pediatric Oxygenator and the Dideco KIDS D131 Pediatric Arterial Filter is distributed in the United States by Sorin Group USA, Inc.

The whole Dideco KIDS Oxygenator and Arterial Filter families will be displayed at the Sorin Group booth at the next coming EACTS Annual Meeting (Lisbon, September 13-17) and ELSO/AmSECT Pediatric Perfusion Conference (San Diego, CA, September 21-24).

About Children’s Medical Center Dallas

Children’s Medical Center Dallas is one of the largest pediatric providers in the nation and is ranked one of the top 25 hospitals pediatric hospitals by U.S. News & World Report. A private, not-for-profit institution affiliated with UT Southwestern Medical Center, Children’s is the only academic healthcare facility in North Texas dedicated exclusively to the comprehensive care of children from birth to age 18. More information about Children’s is available at www.childrens.com.

About the Sorin Group

The Sorin Group (www.sorin.com), a world leader in the development of medical technologies for cardiac surgery, offers innovative therapies for cardiac rhythm dysfunctions, interventional cardiology, and the treatment of chronic kidney diseases. At the Sorin Group, more than 4,000 employees work to serve over 5,000 public and private treatment centers. Every year, over 1 million patients are treated with the devices of Sorin Group in more than 80 countries.

For more information, please visit: www.sorin.com

Source: Sorin Group

Issuer of this News Release is solely responsible for its content.
Please address inquiries directly to the issuing company.