Baylis Medical touts first MitraClip procedure with VersaCross catheter

Baylis Medical said today that it successfully completed the first Abbott (NYSE:ABT) MitraClip procedure with Baylis’ VersaCross transseptal […]

Baylis Medical said today that it successfully completed the first Abbott (NYSE:ABT) MitraClip procedure with Baylis’ VersaCross transseptal solution catheter.
VersaCross is a left-heart access device designed with an atraumatic radio frequency-tipped pigtail wire to achieve access and then serve as an exchange wire, reducing the number of exchanges throughout the procedure.
The MitraClip is designed for a procedure that involves clipping together a portion of the mitral valve leaflets to reduce mitral regurgitation to improve recovery of the heart from overwork, improve function and potentially halt the progression of heart failure.
Baylis’ successful procedure, performed by Lankenau Heart Institute (Wynnewood, Pa.) president Dr. William Gray, used the company’s RF puncture technology, which is designed to enable smooth and precise transseptal procedures. VersaCross also includes a shapeable sheath and dilator, allowing the transseptal punctures to occur at the optimal location on the septum, according to the company.
Toronto-based Baylis expects the VersaCross device to commercially launch in early 2020.

“Structural heart procedures requiring transseptal approaches demand a very precise puncture location to optimize therapy delivery,” Gray said in a news release. “Traditionally, this requires the use of multiple devices in a step-wise method. If the optimal location is not achieved on first pass, we are required to return to the starting point, which involves the time-consuming and potentially riskier reintroduction of multiple devices. This new device enables a novel technique which minimizes the need for exchanges and streamlines transseptal access while achieving the optimal puncture location.”
“The VersaCross solution serves transseptal procedures from start to finish, by combining a versatile wire and sheath with the precision of Baylis’ RF puncture technology,” added Baylis cardiology R&D director Robert Harrison. “It is a true embodiment of the Baylis mandate to provide physicians with meaningful advancements in transseptal access, for the sake of improved patient care.”
Original Article: (https://www.massdevice.com/baylis-medical-touts-first-mitraclip-procedure-with-versacross-catheter/)