Jan Keltjens, President and CEO of CryoCath said, The introduction of Arctic Front in Italy, Belgium and Spain provides us with an exciting opportunity to deliver the benefits of our breakthrough therapy to a larger patient population and drive one of our key corporate goals of explosive and profitable revenue growth in Europe.
Prof. Dr. Claudio Tondo, Chief of the Cardiology Division and Director of the Cardiac Arrhythmia and Heart Failure Research Institute at the San Camillo-Forlanini Hospital in Rome, Italy performed the first procedures with Arctic Front in Italy on June 9, 2008. Dr. Tondo will provide leadership for the program in Italy, the second largest electrophysiology market in continental Europe.
Tondo said, The cryoballoon from CryoCath offers a safe and effective approach favoring a substantial reduction of x-ray exposure time and, without the need to carry out a double transseptal puncture. The cryo technology represents an effective alternative to radiofrequency energy for safety reasons, ension of the ablative treatment to a larger population of patients suffering from paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.
Dr. Brugada said, We see great promise in the procedural simplicity of the Arctic Front System. The cryoballoon’s innovative shape facilitates anatomical placement in the atrium at the ostium of the targeted pulmonary vein. By its very design, the Arctic Front catheter simplifies the ablation of pulmonary veins and may reduce procedural time in the treatment of atrial fibrillation, in turn offering greater comfort for the patient and operator alike.” Prof. Dr. Julián Villacastín and his team at Hospital Clínico San Carlos in Madrid, Spain have treated two patients since first using Arctic Front on June 24, 2008