AUSTIN, Texas , February 13, 2019 / PRNewswire / – The Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute (TCAI) of St. David’s Medical Center recently conducted the first procedure in the United States using the new multi-electrode radiofrequency (RF) ablation balloon catheter, HELIOSTAR as part of the STELLAR study. The aim of the study is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the catheter in the treatment of intermittent atrial fibrillation (AF), the most common type of irregular heartbeat.
Dr. Rodney Horton , an electrophysiologist at TCAI, treated the first patient in the study along with Dr. Andrea Natale , FACC, FHRS, FESC, executive director-physician of TCAI.
“The new balloon catheter can potentially make it easier and faster to isolate the pulmonary veins for the treatment of AF,” Dr. Horton said. “It is unique because it adapts to any pulmonary vein anatomy and enables us to control the electrodes individually to deliver customized energy during ablation.”
The HELIOSTAR RF ablation balloon catheter has 10 electrodes that allow the electrophysiologist to provide different levels of energy depending on the tissue during the creation of the lesion. In addition, the balloon design makes it possible to isolate the pulmonary veins with a single application of RF energy.
“The design of the catheter has the potential to overcome the limitations of current catheter-ablation catheters,” Dr. Natale said. “Today’s balloon-based technologies often require the use of multiple sizes of balloons, resulting in risks and a longer time span. This system has a balloon that can fit any size required, resulting in procedures performed in less time.”
About 640 patients in approximately 40 clinical facilities worldwide will be enrolled in the STELLAR study.
It is estimated that globally 33 million people suffer from atrial fibrillation that can cause blood clots, an episode of stroke, heart failure and other heart-related complications.
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SOURCE Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute at St. David’s Medical Center
