Good Samaritan Hospital First on the West Coast to Utilize Sheath Designed to Reduce Radiation Exposure and Improve Ablation Procedure Efficiency

LOS ANGELES, CA – Good Samaritan Hospital is the first hospital on the West Coast to utilize Carto Vizigo, a bi-directional guiding sheath that can be visualized on the CARTO 3 System during a catheter ablation procedure, helping electrophysiologists reduce dependency on fluoroscopy.

A sheath is an introducer routinely used by physicians to facilitate catheter access, stability, and tissue contact when targeting sites for catheter ablation to treat arrhythmias. Electrophysiologists rely on fluoroscopy to identify the location of the sheath, therefore requiring use of lead to protect themselves from radiation during the procedure.

According to Ivan Ho, MD, electrophysiologist practicing at Good Samaritan Hospital and the first to use the technology on the West Coast, long deflectable sheath has become a major step forward in achieving catheter stability and appropriate radiofrequency energy delivery in complex left-sided arrhythmia ablations. "One of the limitations has been the need of periodic fluoroscopic imaging of the sheath's relative position with the catheter to optimize contact with endocardial surface and ensure safety due to the relatively stiff shaft of these sheaths," said Dr. Ho. The Vizigo allows the direction of the sheath and its relationship with the catheter to be visualized accurately on a 3D mapping system, minimizing the use of fluoroscopy and overall procedure time. This sheath will be one of many innovations in this field to come that combines the power of hardware and software to allow physicians to perform ablations more effectively and safely while minimizing radiation exposure to both themselves and to patients.

This new technology is incorporated easily into the physicians' workflow, designed to enhance efficiency during mapping and positioning of the ablation catheter. The smooth tip-to-dilator transition promotes ease of entry into the left atrium during transseptal access, while deflections of 180 degrees in both directions mean increased steerability, which may improve access to hard-to-reach sites.

About Good Samaritan Hospital

First opened in 1885, Good Samaritan Hospital is a 408-bed tertiary care facility offering some of the most comprehensive care in Los Angeles. Specializing in cardiac, orthopaedic, oncologic, ophthalmologic, and women's services, Good Samaritan Hospital offers various medical and surgical programs in its centers of excellence: Heart & Vascular Center, Comprehensive Orthopaedic Center, Comprehensive Stroke Center, Davajan-Cabal Center for Perinatal Medicine, Pancreatico-Biliary, Tertiary Retinal Surgery, and Transfusion-Free Medicine & Surgery Center. For more information visit www.goodsam.org.

SOURCE Good Samaritan Hospital