一種新型二極管激光系統(tǒng)，允許心血管外科醫(yī)生創(chuàng)造準(zhǔn)確而徹底的心臟組織消融來治療心房纖顫。

最近在Baylor大學(xué)醫(yī)學(xué)中心，三例慢性心房纖顫患者接受了AtriLaze外科消融手術(shù)。在進(jìn)行二尖瓣修補(bǔ)或者置換手術(shù)以及冠狀動脈旁路搭橋手術(shù)的同時，進(jìn)行了這種消融手術(shù)。使用AtriLaze系統(tǒng)并不比標(biāo)準(zhǔn)切除修補(bǔ)Maze手術(shù)增加更多的時間。

Baylor大學(xué)醫(yī)學(xué)中心心肺外科醫(yī)生Barol L.Hamman報道說：“AriLaze系統(tǒng)是一種簡單直觀的工具，使得我能夠進(jìn)行快速精確的Cox-Maze III型切開手術(shù)。這套激光系統(tǒng)使用最佳激光波長把穿透較深的能量輸送到心房組織，我發(fā)現(xiàn)在這種類型的患者之中十分有效。手術(shù)后2個月，患者都不再受到心房纖顫的困擾。

AtriLaze系統(tǒng)是MedcalCV公司的產(chǎn)品。該公司當(dāng)前正在將該系統(tǒng)用于消融心臟組織臨床應(yīng)用的商品化操作，并著重于單機(jī)、微創(chuàng)（靠近胸部跳動的心臟）外科手術(shù)治療心房纖顫。在2005年4月圣弗朗西斯科舉行的美國胸外科學(xué)會年會上，MedcalCV展示了該系統(tǒng)的最新研發(fā)進(jìn)展。

Diode Laser System Treats AF
 
A new diode laser system allows a cardiovascular surgeon to create exact and complete lines of cardiac tissue ablation to treat atrial fibrillation (AF).

The AtriLaze surgical ablation procedure was recently performed on three patients with chronic AF at Baylor University Medical Center (Dallas, TX, USA). The procedure was performed as a concomitant procedure with mitral valve repair or replacement and coronary artery bypass grafting. The use of the AtriLaze system added less time than the standard cut-and-sew Maze procedure.

“The AriLaze system is a simple, intuitive tool that allows me to make rapid, precise Cox-Maze III partition lines,” reported Dr. Baron L. Hamman, a cardiothoracic surgeon at Baylor University Medical Canter. “The laser system employs an optimal light wavelength to deliver deep penetrating energy to atrial tissue that I found to be effective in this series of patients. Two months after surgery, each of the patients showed freedom from atrial fibrillation.”

The AtriLaze system is the product of MedcalCV, Inc. (Minneapolis, MN, USA). The company is currently marketing the system for clinical use in ablating cardiac tissue and is focusing its resources on the stand-alone, minimally invasive (closed chest, beating heart) surgical treatment of AF. MedcalCV presented updates on the system’s development at the annual meeting of the American Association for Thoracic Surgery in April 2005, held in San Francisco (CA, USA).