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Does anyone know who the players are in this arena? I think HeartPort have a minimally invasive system, and it looks like CTSI. I think this is the future for this type of surgery, just like laparoscopic procedures for gallbladders, and appendices have become the norm
PORTOLA VALLEY, Calif., July 30 /PRNewswire/ via Individual Inc. -- CardioThoracic Systems, Inc., (Nasdaq: CTSI) announced today that, since its FDA clearance in May, the CTS Minimally Invasive Direct Coronary Artery Bypass (MIDCAB) system has been used to perform single, double, and triple vessel beating heart bypass surgeries in more than 140 patients at eight clinical centers. The CTS Access and Stabilizer System is designed to enable surgeons to perform the MIDCAB procedure on a beating heart with the same safety and efficacy as the standard Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG) procedure.
The CTS MIDCAB system is designed to provide minimally invasive access to the chest cavity through a small window between the ribs, and to completely isolate and stabilize the motion of the beating heart at the repair site during coronary bypass surgery. The stabilization system, pioneered by CTS, is critical to performing a quality repair while the heart remains beating. The company believes that the MIDCAB procedure will provide an alternative to standard bypass which involves cracking open the chest and stopping the heart.
"We are encouraged by the clinical results and physician interest in our beating heart bypass system. The ability to offer minimally invasive beating heart surgery could represent an important benefit to patients and the U.S. healthcare system," said Richard Ferrari, president and CEO, CardioThoracic Systems. "In accomplishing this milestone, CTS is one step closer to standardizing the method for performing beating heart surgery and providing widespread availability of the products necessary to perform the procedure."
A significant patient benefit of MIDCAB is the elimination of the cardiopulmonary-bypass (CPB or "heart-lung") machine which is used during standard CABG surgery. Side-effects from CPB may include strokes, multiple organ dysfunction, and/or bleeding, which are some of the most severe post-operative complications from CABG surgery. Equally as important is the rapid return of most MIDCAB patients to a normal lifestyle within days following surgery. The MIDCAB procedure results in a small, two- to three-inch horizontal incision between the ribs as opposed to the traumatic, full-chest, 12-inch vertical incision and the sawing or cracking open of the chest that is required for standard CABG. As a direct result of the MIDCAB procedure, patients are experiencing significantly less operative trauma and decreased post-surgical complications. MIDCAB clinicians report significant patient benefits over those who have received the standard CABG procedure, including greatly improved recovery times, shorter ICU and hospital stays, reduced post-operative complications and lower procedure costs.
CTS, headquartered in Portola Valley, Calif., is a leader in the emerging field of minimally invasive cardiothoracic surgery. The company is developing proprietary, disposable instruments and systems designed to enable cardiothoracic surgeons to perform Minimally Invasive Direct Coronary Bypass (MIDCAB) surgery. CTS is also engaged in the development of minimally invasive surgical systems for saphenous vein harvesting and coronary valve surgery. The company's common stock is traded over the Nasdaq Stock Market under the symbol CTSI.
Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters discussed in this news release are forward looking statements that involve risk and uncertainties, including receipt and timing of regulatory approvals, availability and market acceptance of new products, and the management of growth. For further information, refer to the risk factors in the company's Registration Statement on Form S-1, relating to its initial public offering that occurred in April 1996, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and its related prospectus dated April 18, 1994. Copies of the filed prospectus can be obtained by calling investor relations at CTS.
/CONTACT: Richard M. Ferrari, CEO, or Steve Van Dick, CFO, both of CardioThoracic Systems, 415-529-0250; Ann Trunko, general information, or Kate Rajeck, analyst contact, both of Financial Relations Board, 415-986-1591; Mark Bizzell or Laura Brooks, media relations at Porter/Novelli, 310-444-7000/ (CTSI)
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