Structural heart focused HeartStitch today touted the 1st-in-man use of the company’s HeartStitch technology in a transapical access and closure procedure at the National Cardiac Research Center in Astana, Kazakhstan.
The 2 procedures were performed by device inventor, HeartStitch co-founder and CEO Dr. Anthony Nobles and CMO Dr. Michael Mullen, the company said.
“This exciting technology will be an important step in facilitating the next wave of technology in treating structural heart disease that will require safe, effective and simple access and closure of the ventricular apex. I believe this is the next wave of technology in treating structural heart disease. The ability to be less invasive without introducing new mechanical devices into the patient’s heart by emulating the open surgical technique is always the best way, but often the most difficult to achieve. This new technology does just that. Over the next year our task will be to refine the procedure, technology, and technique of using the device so that it may be implemented by cardiac teams performing these life saving heart operations,” HeartStitch CMO Dr. Mullen said in a press release.
Patients were treated with HeartStitch technology in a transapical procedure to implant an aortic heart valve, the company said, with no complications reported. HeartStitch said that the procedure was a step towards moving critical heart procedures to percutaneous methods, as opposed to more dangerous open heart surgery.
“This is a historical day for all of us. Whenever we perform a 1st-in-man with one of our new technologies, we recognize that we are entrusted with not only the lives of these patients, but the hopes of tens of thousands of patients who in the future will rely on this procedure for their lives. As a scientist there is no greater measure of your work than the ability to save a life. As a businessman I am also proud of the impact this has had on the people of Kazakhstan, our partners in this development,” CEO Nobles said in a prepared statement.
In March, HeartStitch and Nobles Medical touted separate procedures utilizing cardiac sutures with the company’s Hearstitch ST and Noblestitch EL devices.
Nobles Medical Tech said that the NobleStitch EL device was used in the 1st percutaneous ASD closure and ASA repair and remodeling without the use of an implantable device.
The NobleStitch EL device closes the hole through a minimally invasive cardiovascular suturing procedure, the company said, with a routine cardiac catheterization procedure to secure the closure.
