CardioFocus Inc. recently announced the initial clinical evaluation of the HeartLight Excalibur Balloon, a next-generation technology designed for the treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF). The Excalibur Balloon leverages the universal balloon design of the HeartLight Endoscopic Ablation System and introduces an advanced feature set that optimizes the speed and magnitude of target tissue contact during pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) procedures.

Survival statistics, surgeon-specific experience and complication rates are the types of information most wanted by parents of children with congenital heart disease, according to a survey released at the 53rd Annual Meeting of The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS).

Using data from a national study, Johns Hopkins researchers determined that using heart computed tomography (CT) scans can help personalize treatment in patients whose blood pressure falls in the gray zone of just above normal or mild high blood pressure. Previously, the appropriate blood pressure treatment for these patients used risk calculations and some guesswork, potentially leaving many vulnerable to heart disease or taking drugs they do not need. Nearly one in three adults in the United States has prehypertension, blood pressure higher than normal but not considered high yet.

Biotronik has enrolled the first patients in the BioInsight clinical study evaluating the safety and feasibility of performing the minimally invasive BioMonitor 2 insertion procedure in an office setting.