With this being the month many think about the heart related to Valentines Day a quick note regarding quickly fixing a broken heart seems appropriate.

Our current average time to open a closed heart artery is 41 minutes from arriving to emergency department door at St David's Round Rock Medical Center. Quicker recognition of symptoms and restoration of blood flow decreases cardiac injury. Potentially decreasing damage from Iceberg sized collision damage to ice cube sized collision.

The biggest time factor is early recognition and getting trained people to help. Find out more signs and symptoms from the American Heart Association remember the symptoms may not match the movie portrayals of chest clinching.Others may be counting on your help for their heart.

Michael Howell
Director of Cardiology
St. David's Round Rock Medical Center

Sensei® X Robotic Catheter System Received FDA Approval on Friday, September 11

On Tuesday, September 15, 2009, physicians at the Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute at St. David's Medical Center performed the first procedure worldwide using the Sensei® X Robotic Catheter System, which received clearance from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) on Friday, September 11, 2009. Electrophysiologists at TCAI use the new system to more effectively treat patients with atrial fibrillation, or A Fib—a common heart rhythm disorder that, if left untreated, can lead to stroke.

The new Sensei® X Robotic Catheter System, manufactured by Hansen Medical, Inc., is the next generation flexible robotic platform that integrates advanced levels of 3D catheter control with 3D visualization, a combination that provides accuracy and stability to the physician.

“With this device, we are able to reach deeper into the heart, allowing us to place catheters with greater precision and accuracy,” Rodney P. Horton, M.D., electrophysiologist at TCAI, said. “This advanced navigation allows us to safely and effectively treat patients with A Fib through complex arrhythmia mapping procedures.”

The new Sensei X platform uses the Artisan Extend™ Control Catheter, which increases the reachability and navigation properties of the existing Artisan catheter by offering more than 20 percent improvement in both bend and reach. As a result, physicians have the ability to place catheters deliberately and accurately within the heart. In addition, the Artisan Extend catheter offers improvements in setup and workflow, designed to improve usability and reduce procedure time. Artisan Extend™ Control Catheter received FDA approval last month.

The new Sensei X system allows doctors to control an electronic “arm” from a work station outside of the electrophysiology (EP) lab, improving their technical capabilities during EP procedures. It also reduces radiation exposure to both patient and physician.

TCAI is one of the world's most comprehensive centers dedicated to the latest treatment advances for correcting A Fib. It is led by Andrea Natale, M.D., F.A.C.C., a world-renowned expert on abnormal heart rhythms such as A Fib. Natale is at the forefront of the advancement of treatment for A Fib, leading numerous clinical trials and participating in the development of new technologies and procedures.

TCAI is a partnership between St. David's HealthCare and the physician group, Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia.

A physician at the Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute at St. David's Medical Center is the first in Texas to implant a new pacemaker equipped with wireless technology that can notify physicians of changes in their patients' device or condition. The latest technology was developed by St. Jude Medical to improve patient care and make device follow-up more efficient and convenient for both patients and physicians.

Dr. Shane M. Bailey, electrophysiologist at the Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute at St. David's Medical Center (TCAI), implanted the Accent™ RF pacemaker to monitor the patient's heart and provide electronic stimulation when the heart beats too slowly.

The Accent RF pacemaker enables Dr. Bailey to monitor his patients' devices from the patients' home. On scheduled check-up dates, data from the pacemaker is wirelessly sent to the physician—in a hands free manner, with no patient interaction required, typically while the patient sleeps—and becomes available to the physician for viewing via the Merlin.net® Patient Care Network.

“I continue to be fascinated by how far medical science has advanced the field of electrophysiology in the past few years and I am pleased that TCAI is at the forefront of those advances,” Dr. Bailey said. “With new technologies such as the Accent RF pacemaker, I am able to provide better care for my patients, which is the ultimate goal.”

In addition to regular device follow-up appointments, the wireless communication also enables the device to automatically alert physicians to important changes with the device or the patient's heart rhythm, in between scheduled device checks.

The Merlin.net PCN also allows physicians to compile a more complete patient record, by easily transferring cardiac device data into electronic health records. This allows the physician to view all patient information side-by-side in a secure, easy to access location.

Cardiac pacemakers are used to treat bradycardia, which is a heart rate that is too slow. These devices monitor the heart and provide electrical stimulation when the heart beats too slowly for each patient's specific physiological requirements.