Patients with atrial fibrillation had positive results after receiving treatment with focal impulse rotor modulation (FIRM)-guided rotor ablation, according to three studies presented at the recent Cardiostim-EHRA Europace conference in Nice, France.
Abbott, which manufactures the RhythmView technology used in the investigator-sponsored studies, announced the findings in a news release.
By using FIRM-guided therapy, physicians can identify rotors, which contain information on atrial fibrillation and other heart rhythm disorders, according to Abbott.
In each of the three studies, patients were treated with FIRM-guided rotor ablation and a traditional procedure for atrial fibrillation.
During one study, 80.8 percent of patients were free from atrial fibrillation 12 months after receiving redo treatment for persistent atrial fibrillation. In another study, 72 percent of patients were in sinus rhythm a year after FIRM-guided ablation. In the final study, 78.6 percent of patients with obstructive sleep apnea were in sinus rhythm 12 months after FIRM-guided ablation.
In late 2014, Abbott acquired Topera, a private company which developed the RhythmView technology. The FDA approved Topera’s FIRMap catheter and RhythmView 3D mapping workstation, which provides electrophysiologists with the ability to identify the source that sustains serious heart rhythm disorders.
“The data presented at Cardiostim last week affirm the positive results achieved with the FIRM-guided approach,” Michael Pederson, general manager of Abbott’s electrophysiology business, said in a news release. “These results are consistent with the findings of the CONFIRM and OASIS studies, which show a clear incremental benefit associated with the use of rotor mapping when performed in conjunction with the traditional ablation procedure.”
In April, Abbott announced that it had agreed to spend approximately $25 billion to acquire St. Jude Medical, a leader in atrial fibrillation, heart failure devices and cardiac rhythm management. The deal is subject to customary closing conditions, but the companies expect it to be completed by the fourth quarter of 2016.
Executive Editor
Tim Casey joined TriMed Media Group in 2015 as Executive Editor. For the previous four years, he worked as an editor and writer for HMP Communications, primarily focused on covering managed care issues and reporting from medical and health care conferences. He was also a staff reporter at the Sacramento Bee for more than four years covering professional, college and high school sports. He earned his undergraduate degree in psychology from the University of Notre Dame and his MBA degree from Georgetown University.