AUSTIN, Texas, Aug. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- This week, doctors at the Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute (TCAI) at St. David's Medical Center became the first in the nation to implement the CoHesion(TM) 3D Visualization Module -- an enhancement to the state-of-the art Hansen Robotic system used to treat cardiac arrhythmias. With the visualization module, patients undergoing the ablation treatment for heart arrhythmias are exposed to about 30 percent less radiation than without the new technology, among other benefits.
Heart arrhythmias are problems that affect the electrical system, or "wiring," of the heart muscle. Heart arrhythmias are very common. Experts say that millions of people will experience an abnormal heart rhythm some time during their lives.
During cardiac ablation, doctors destroy, or ablate, a small spot of heart tissue to create an electrical block along the pathway that causes a heart arrhythmia. The new CoHesion(TM) module can help reduce potentially fatal complications during treatment. The improved accuracy of allowing physicians to more precisely control the robotic catheter can also reduce the time it takes to perform the procedure, cutting the amount of radiation exposure for patients by about 30 percent.
The new CoHesion(TM) module combines the EnSite System's 3D cardiac chamber model with anatomic labeling with the Sensei system's main navigation window, allowing physicians to see the location of Hansen Medical's Artisan(TM) Control Catheters within the heart in 3D. This allows doctors to augment their ability to move a catheter throughout the heart, as well as increase control over placement of the catheter in specific locations in patients with heart arrhythmias. Previously, physicians used 3D imaging as a reference only.
Hansen Medical, Inc. received FDA approval for using the CoHesion(TM) 3D Visualization Module in complex electrophysiology mapping procedures in July, 2008.
TCAI -- an international treatment, training and research center specializing in heart rhythm disorders -- formally opened in April, 2008, under the direction of internationally renowned cardiac electrophysiologist Andrea Natale, M.D.
Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia/Texas Cardiovascular Consultants
Founded in 1996 by Rodney P. Horton, M.D., Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia, now a division of Texas Cardiovascular Consultants, has performed thousands of electrophysiology procedures and cared for thousands of patients, providing state-of-the-art care in Texas as well as in Central and South America. The team participates in clinical research, offering patients the latest technology while ensuring that physicians remain on the cutting edge. For more information about clinics throughout Austin and surrounding countries, as well as in Waco, Bryan, College Station, San Angelo, Temple, Killeen, Corpus Christi, Laredo and Odessa -- please visit http://www.TCAheart.com.
Founded in 1995, Texas Cardiovascular believes the successful delivery of effective cardiovascular care and health management depends on the establishment of a close working relationship with the patient, the availability of all of the latest diagnostic technologies, and physicians trained in all state-of-the-art techniques to prevent and treat cardiovascular disease. With more than 35 physicians and seven full-time offices, Texas Cardiovascular cares for patients throughout Central Texas and statewide.
St. David's HealthCare
St. David's HealthCare's total capital investment related to the Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute is approximately $36 million. The initial capital investment is $8 million for new technology and Institute infrastructure, $6 million for a hospital renovation project on the second floor where Institute patients receive care and another $22 million for a critical care patient tower that is currently in the planning stages. With the $36 million capital investment in TCAI, St. David's HealthCare will have invested more than $680 million in Central Texas in the last 10 years.
St. David's HealthCare is the fourth-largest private employer in the Austin area, with more than 6,200 employees and $2.3 billion in annual gross revenues. In 2007, St. David's HealthCare was voted one of Austin's "Best Places to Work" by the Austin Business Journal. For more information about St. David's HealthCare or its hospitals: St. David's North Austin Medical Center, St. David's Round Rock Medical Center, St. David's South Austin Hospital, St. David's Medical Center, St. David's Georgetown Hospital, and St. David's Rehabilitation Hospital, please visit http://www.stdavids.com.
CONTACT: Kristin Marcum or Erin Ochoa, both of Elizabeth Christian &
Associates Public Relations, +1-512-472-9599, for Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia
Institute at St. David's Medical Center
Web site: http://www.TCAheart.com/
http://www.stdavids.com/
