First hospital in Mexico to use GORE HELEX Septal Occluder for transcatheter closure of ASD

W. L. Gore & Associates (Gore) today announced that Instituto Nacional De Cardiologia in Mexico City, Mexico, is the first hospital in the country to use the GORE® HELEX Septal Occluder for the transcatheter closure of an atrial septal defect (ASD). Department Chief, Dr. Carlos Zabal and Dr. Jose Garcia Montes of the Instituto Nacional de Cardiologia, in Mexico City, achieved the milestone procedure in March, 2010. Three separate and successful ASD closures were completed, giving the hospital the honor of becoming the first in Mexico to use the GORE HELEX Septal Occluder.

“Those with ASD now have a viable alternative to open heart surgery that can close the defect permanently and with a shorter recovery time.”

An ASD is a congenital heart defect that affects thousands of patients every year. The GORE HELEX Septal Occluder is a permanently implanted prosthesis and the first device of its kind to use ePTFE. Its unique ePTFE patch material is supported by a single wire nitinol frame that conforms to the patient's anatomy. The catheter-based delivery system allows for easier device deployment via standard femoral venous access. The GORE HELEX Septal Occluder is recognized globally as being at the forefront of non-surgical ASD repair.

"Instituto Nacional de Cardiologia was the first in Mexico to offer the GORE HELEX Device to children and adults with an ASD as an alternative to open heart surgery," said Dr. Carlos Zabal, Department Chief. "The GORE HELEX Septal Occluder is an excellent and new option in transcatheter closure due to its compliant design and profile that conforms well to the anatomy of the heart."

An ASD is an abnormal hole in the wall which allows abnormal blood flow from the left atrium into the right atrium, forcing the right side of the heart and lungs to overexert to compensate for the problem. If untreated, an ASD can cause the heart to enlarge, or weaken, leaving the patient at risk for serious conditions like atrial fibrillation, pulmonary hypertension, heart failure or stroke. The defect is most often treated in pediatric patients.

"We are excited that physicians in Mexico are bringing this minimally invasive procedure to their patients. Around the world, the GORE HELEX Septal Occluder has been used in thousands of successful implants," said Stuart Broyles, PhD, Associate with the Gore Medical Division Stroke Business. "Those with ASD now have a viable alternative to open heart surgery that can close the defect permanently and with a shorter recovery time."