Study Suggests Restoring Sinus Rhythm May Improve Heart Function in Persistent Atrial Fibrillation Patients

Poster Presented at American College of Cardiology Annual Scientific Session Highlights Impact of Convergent Procedure on Left Atrial Size and Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction Data presented by Toplisek et al at the American College of Cardiology (ACC) 61st Annual Scientific Session & Expo, March 24-27, Chicago, IL, demonstrates that restoring sinus rhythm in patients with persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) may also improve heart function. In the presented experience, 85% of patients who underwent ablation with the multidisciplinary Convergent Procedure were in sinus rhythm at one-year follow-up, accompanied by a significant reduction in left atrial size and improvement in left ventricular ejection fraction. Poster: Effect of Convergent Procedure on Left Atrial Size & Ventricular Function in Patients with Persistent AF Presenting and lead author Janez Toplisek, MD, of University Medical Center, Ljubljana, Slovenia, commented, “Numerous clinical experiences have demonstrated the promise of the Convergent Procedure in restoring sinus rhythm for persistent AF patients with enlarged atria. In this study, we found that eliminating the arrhythmia in fact leads to reduced left atrial size and improved left ventricular ejection function. This data also suggests that specifically the Convergent Procedure may improve heart function and provide a viable treatment option for persistent AF.” Persistent AF is frequently associated with enlargement of the atria and structural heart disease, and research shows the arrhythmia can be challenging to effectively treat. In this study, 21 patients with symptomatic drug refractory persistent or long-standing persistent AF underwent the Convergent Procedure at University Medical Center. At 12 months, 85% (18/21) were in sinus rhythm and 61% (13/21) were AF free and off anti-arrhythmic drugs. Average 30-day AF burden in patients in clinical sinus rhythm decreased from 100% at baseline to an average of 1.5% at one-year post procedure as recorded by an implantable loop recorder. Notably, restored sinus rhythm was accompanied by a significant reduction in left atrial diameter (4.9 cm to 4.5 cm) and an increase in left ventricular ejection fraction (56% to 64%). Author Prof. Borut Gersak, MD, also of University Medical Center, said, “The patients included in this experience were chronically ill, having suffered with AF for an average duration of four years and presenting with enlarged atria. Traditionally it has been difficult to achieve sinus rhythm in this population, and near impossible to return the heart to a healthier state. This data further supports the potential of the Convergent Procedure for treating an underserved AF population.” The Convergent Procedure integrates the best practices of surgeons and electrophysiologists in a single setting, utilizing a minimally invasive, trans-diaphragmatic approach for direct access to the posterior of the atrium without chest incisions, lung deflation, or cardiac dissections. Developed by physicians and enabled by nContact’s epicardial ablation technology, it has been shown to be especially appropriate for AF patients with enlarged atria, a population in which standalone catheter treatments have had limited single procedure success. nContact’s Numeris® Coagulation System with VisiTrax® and EPi-Sense™ Coagulation System technology integrate suction, perfusion and radiofrequency energy to ensure consistent cardiac tissue contact and create visible, continuous lesions on the epicardium of a beating heart. For more information, please visit www.ncontactinc.eu and www.ncontactinc.com. About nContact, Inc. nContact, Inc. is the leading innovator in epicardial ablation devices and techniques. Its mission is to transform the underserved arrhythmia market through the advancement of less invasive, more efficacious ablation alternatives for cardiac arrhythmias. Its lead technologies, the EPi-Sense™ and Numeris® Coagulation System with VisiTrax®, have CE Mark approval in Europe for the coagulation of cardiac tissue for the treatment of atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter. The Numeris® Coagulation System with VisiTrax® is indicated for endoscopic coagulation of cardiac tissue in the United States. nContact was founded in 2005 and is headquartered in Morrisville, North Carolina, U.S.A.