LOS ANGELES, CA--(Marketwired - Sep 11, 2015) - Specialists of the National Research Cardiac Surgery Center (NRCSC) in Astana, Kazakhstan together with Dr. Michael Mullen, and with the guidance of Professor Anthony A. Nobles, performed a new, minimally invasive procedure to close the Patent Foramen Ovale (PFO) of the heart using the NobleStitch EL device for cardiovascular suturing. This was successfully performed without invasive open-heart surgery. A Patent Foramen Ovale (PFO) is a hole in the heart that ordinarily will close at birth, but more than 27% of the population this tunnel remains open.
Three patients, ranging from 13 - 42 years of age with congenital heart disease underwent this minimally invasive intervention under visual fluoroscopic control. These cases demonstrated several of the fundamental differences between the new type of procedure using the NobleStitch EL which uses only sutures to close the heart defect, versus large medical device implants that are known for potentially life threatening complications in some patients. The percutaneous PFO tunnel is sewn "closed" using the NobleStitch EL method with a routine cardiac catheterization procedure rather than implanting a large metal disc in the heart or the much more invasive open-heart surgery procedure.
Stroke, Debilitating severe migraines often accompanied by visual aura and chronic fatigue have long been associated with PFO, which led to the National Stroke Center to work with Dr. Mullen and HeartStitch to train cardiologists at the NRCSC identifying those patients and the technique to test for the PFO. This is the first device of its kind used in Astana starting with the first patient treated last year during the Master Class which established a new awareness of the relationship between PFO stroke and other structural heart problems.
Dr. Saule Kadirova a leading expert in structural heart interventions at NCRC was present to perform the cases on the three patients in Astana. Dr. Kadirova said, "We are gratified that our colleagues from abroad have brought this technology to Kazakhstan. We now have the ability to perform these important, minimally invasive procedures and thank Dr. Mullen and Professor Nobles, who invented this innovative solution for cardiologists. We can now treat the Kazakhstani people using this practice."
Professor Anthony Nobles commented, "Working with such talented physicians makes the training of our NobleStitch technology more effective. Working with cardiology centers like NRCSC allows us to provide safe alternatives for PFO closure. It is gratifying for me to bring our latest technological breakthrough to Kazakhstan. Clinical successes as we have had here in Astana are the driving force for our continued growth worldwide."