New 3-D robotic heart procedure at Banner hospital is first in Valley
MESA, Ariz. (July 7, 2010) – Banner Heart Hospital is the first medical facility in the Valley to offer a new, technologically advanced robotic tool designed to help eradicate irregular heart rhythms with more precision and control than ever.
The minimally invasive “Sensei X” tool allows physicians to robotically control a catheter from a 3-D workstation, improving their technical capabilities during electrophysiology procedures. As a result, physicians can now place catheters more accurately. This also reduces radiation exposure to both patients and physicians.
“We’re able to navigate more effectively and further into the heart with this new device, because it allows us much more mobility,” said Mark Starling, MD, chief medical officer of Banner Heart Hospital. “The advanced navigation helps us to safely and effectively perform complex ablation procedures that map out abnormalities in the heart rhythm of our patients. The features of this new technology will be particularly helpful for the eradication of atrial fibrillation non-invasively in more patients and without surgery.”
Previously, two-dimensional technologies such as fluoroscopy or ultrasound were used to assist physicians with guiding catheters inside the heart, which is a three-dimensional space. The Sensei X technology, manufactured by Hansen Medical Inc., provides physicians with a 3-D view that is expected to optimize control over placement of the catheter in specific locations.
More than 2.5 million Americans have been diagnosed with a complex cardiac arrhythmia, resulting in more than 850,000 hospitalizations each year. An estimated 10 percent of all people over the age of 80 have complex arrhythmias. If left untreated, these conditions can lead to heart failure and stroke.
About Banner Heart Hospital
Banner Heart Hospital is one of the largest free-standing heart hospitals in the nation. It is the first Accredited Heart Failure Institute in Arizona and one of only seven in the nation. The hospital is home to the Southwest's premier robotic surgery program, with more than 300 procedures already completed. Banner Heart opened in 2000 and is the only heart hospital in the East Valley, serving Mesa, Apache Junction, Queen Creek, Gilbert Payson, Globe and many other communities.
Media Contact: Corey Schubert, Public Relations Specialist
Office: 480-321-4978 // Cell: 321-501-2850
Corey.Schubert@bannerhealth.com
