Stereotaxis Has 1st U.S. Procedures with MAGiC Cardiac Ablation Catheter

Stereotaxis announced that the first patients in the U.S. were successfully treated using its MAGiC cardiac ablation catheter.

The robotically-navigated magnetic interventional cardiac ablation catheter earned U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) PMA approval in January. According to the company, it’s the first ablation catheter specifically approved to treat arrhythmia in patients with complex congenital heart disease.

Dr. Nathan McConkey, a cardiac electrophysiologist at Oregon Health & Science University, performed the first MAGiC procedure in the U.S. on a patient with complex congenital heart disease who had extremely frequent episodes of atrial flutter that required cardioversion or pace termination on a near-weekly basis. Prior ablation attempts with manual catheters didn’t work because of the patient’s challenging anatomy.

By approaching the cavotricuspid isthmus from above via access from the basilic vein in the arm Dr. McConkey could successfully ablate the target tissue and treat the patient, who hasn’t experienced a recurrence in the weeks after the procedure.

“MAGiC is an outstanding tool for reaching challenging substrate in patients with complicated anatomy,” said Dr. McConkey. “The stability, contact force, and energy delivery are all a substantial improvement over older magnetic catheters, and many ablations in my complex congenital patients would be impossible without this new technology.”

The catheter is navigated with a compatible robotic magnetic navigation system. The novel technology uses highly precise, computer-controlled magnetic fields to provide unprecedented levels of catheter maneuverability, precision, and stability, Stereotaxis said.

Last week, the company revealed it began a deal to acquire Robocath, a venture-backed innovator of robotic technologies for interventional cardiology and neurointerventions.