A multidisciplinary team from the Montreal Heart Institute (MHI) performed its first catheter implantation of a new prosthesis (Amptlazer(R) Cardiac Plug) closing the appendage of the left atrium of the heart, which will have the effect of preventing the formation of blood clots and avoiding open-heart surgery. This is excellent news for patients suffering from atrial fibrillation, the most common form of cardiac arrhythmia, affecting at least 5% of Canadians over the age of 70. This innovation takes place within the framework of a pan-Canadian program that includes the Institut de cardiologie et de pneumologie de Québec, the Toronto General Hospital, St. Paul's Hospital in Vancouver, as well as the MHI.
A Pooling of Expertise, with Convincing Results
The team that performed the first three procedures at the MHI on November 25, 2009, was composed of Drs. Réda Ibrahim, interventional cardiologist, Arsène Basmadjian, cardiologist and ultrasound specialist, and Antoine Rochon, anesthesiologist, the latter three all professors at the Université de Montréal, as well as Drs. Patrick Garceau, fellow in echocardiography, and Hasan Jilaihawi, fellow in interventional cardiology, plus nurses and a radiology technician. The results of the procedure were favourable for all three patients, who are well today. The members of the MHI team worked under the supervision of Dr. Rainer Schräder, head of the department of cardiology and intensive care unit at the Makus-Krankenhaus Centre in Frankfurt, Germany, the technique having already been used on a regular basis in Europe for over a year. Drs. Erick Horlick of the Toronto General Hospital and John G. Webb of St. Paul's Hospital in Vancouver were also present with a view to soon being able to perform similar procedures in their own institutions.
"We are delighted at being able to pool our expertise so as to offer a promising alternative to patients with atrial fibrillation and, in doing so, bring hope to these patients. By preventing clot formation, this prosthesis makes it possible to prevent cardiovascular accidents (CVA) and calls for a less invasive procedure in comparison to open heart surgery," said Dr. Réda Ibrahim.
Given its volume of activity and expertise in treating cardiovascular diseases, the MHI has also been chosen to serve as a training centre for American cardiologists who must be trained with a view to a study leading to approval of the prosthesis by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA). This training program will begin in early 2010.
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