Edwards describes the Konect Resilia as the first ready-to-implant option for bio-Bentall procedures, a complex surgery that involves the replacement of a person’s aortic valve, aortic root and the ascending aorta.
Surgeons find themselves having to perform nearly a third of Bentall procedures in an emergency setting.
“Until now, surgeons did not have a pre-assembled option that was FDA approved, so those utilizing bovine tissue valves for Bentall procedures needed to manually assemble a valve with a conduit in the operating room,” said Dr. Joseph Bavaria, surgery professor and vice chief of the division of cardiovascular surgery at the University of Pennsylvania.
“The Konect device represents a meaningful advancement that offers surgeons a preassembled device with two leading technologies, which can streamline treatment for patients requiring this complex and technical procedure,” Bavaria said in a news release. (Bavaria is a consultant for Edwards.)
The Konect device includes Edwards’ advanced Resilia tissue, which can be stored under dry packaging conditions.
“Because the typical patient is under the age of 60, advanced technologies such as the Konect device with the Resilia tissue might provide extended valve durability for a more active patient population,” said Daveen Chopra, Edwards’ corporate VP for surgical structural heart.
