Los Angeles, California, November 20, 2017 – Advanced Bifurcation Systems is developing a new procedure that could potentially eliminate the need for open-heart surgery in thousands of patients every year. Their system, which is currently going through trials, could make stenting branched arteries much simpler and less time consuming. It would also reduce the reliance on open-heart surgery to address problems caused by blocked arteries.
This new procedure is going to be explained at the XIIIth Annual European Bifurcation Club Meeting in Porto, Portugal by company cofounder Dr. Mehran Khorsandi. Many of the world’s leading interventional cardiologists attend the conference so it’s a good opportunity to gain valuable exposure for the new ABS system.
Potential Cost Savings
An estimated half a million bypass surgeries are performed in the United States every year. According to Advanced Bifurcation Systems CEO, Charles Laverty, each surgery can cost tens of thousands of dollars or much more. That’s a staggering amount of resources spent every year that could be better used elsewhere if there were options available other than surgery.
That’s where the ABS system being perfected by Dr. Khorsandi can help. Instead of having to go through open-heart surgery, a patient can receive the lifesaving treatment they need with a day surgery. The ABS system makes use of a dual catheter that places a pair of self-aligning stents in both the mother and daughter vessels of a branched artery. This would bypass a blockage without the need for expensive open-heart surgery.
It’s a procedure that would be much less expensive. According to Laverty, stenting should cost around tens of thousands of dollars less per procedure than open heart surgery. If even half of the open-heart surgeries currently performed could be avoided it would give the medical system a much needed financial boost. The ABS system is still a few years away from regular use, but if it can successfully pass through FDA review, it will be a major breakthrough.
Improvements are Needed
The placement of stents in arteries to work around blockages caused by plaque build-up has been a common procedure for more than 30 years now. The technology has seen significant improvements in that time, but none have been the potential game changer that the ABS method could be. If this advanced stenting procedure becomes commonplace it will represent a major addition to the cardiac surgeons toolbox.
Stents have saved many lives, but current methods of inserting them are not always reliable. More than 15% of procedures fail and while that may not sound like a lot, a failed procedure can be deadly for the patient. The self-aligning method used in the ABS system eliminates the gaps and overlaps that often cause stents in branched arteries to fail. The survival rate of those suffering from heart disease could be increased significantly.
A Strong Foundation
ABS is currently preparing to submit its application to the FDA. The procedure was developed after extensive research and the company’s core group of employees have some strong credentials.
CEO Charles Laverty has been involved with the health care field for more than 30 years and CMO Dr. Khorsandi is a well-respected interventional cardiologist with years of experience in the field. The company’s other cofounder, Henry Bourang, has 29 years of senior level management experience as well. They’ve also taken care to protect their procedure with dozens of patents in place in several different countries such as the U.S., Canada, and Japan.
Great Benefits for the Patient
With potential medical breakthroughs such as ABS, it’s easy to get caught up in facts and figures, but the benefits of this procedure aren’t just about cost savings. Cardiac patients would be able to return to their normal lives in a shorter period of time after this procedure. Even when open-heart surgery is a success the recovery time is typically measured in weeks or even months.
If a blockage can be cleared with a stent inserted by a catheter the patient generally doesn’t have to spend one night in the hospital. The fact that both stents can be placed in the branched arteries at the same time turns a complex surgery into a straightforward one. The simplified process wouldn’t require heart surgeons to receive extra training and this would mean more would be able to help patients with these symptoms.
The Way Forward
Advanced Bifurcation Systems is confident that their method can help thousands of patients each year and their trials so far seem to confirm that. With their system it doesn’t matter how much plaque is causing the problem or where it’s located. ABS should work just as well in almost every scenario. The only downside is that we have to wait a few more years before most patients will be able to benefit from this life saving procedure.
About Advanced Bifurcation Systems
Advanced Bifurcation Systems (“ABS”) is a clinical stage medical device company developing an innovative stenting platform for simple treatment of all bifurcation lesions in coronary angioplasties. ABS has developed a novel technology which overcomes the limitations of current approaches while simplifying the procedure. The Company’s groundbreaking system consists of numerous differentiating features, including a unique modular independently movable dual-catheter system for provisional side-branch stenting as well as full bifurcation stenting with a proprietary crimping technology allowing for partial crimping of the main stent. For more information, go to www.advancedbifurcation.com.
Contact:
Advanced Bifurcation Systems
Charles Laverty
Chief Executive Officer
charles_laverty@advancedbifurcation.com
(949)432-4824
