Lisa Soule, Manager Media and Public Relations 254-724-7758 or 254-724-3047 Pager: 254-762-0791 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 16, 2007

Scott & White surgeons debut new device for atrial fibrillation

TEMPLE, Texas – Scott & White surgeons Monday were the first to use a new device they helped develop for the treatment of atrial fibrillation. Atrial fibrillation is the most common form of heart arrhythmia, affecting more than two million people each year.

After 18 months of design, engineering and testing, Scott & White cardiothoracic surgeons Charles Reiter, M.D. and Erik Beyer, M.D., said they were excited to debut the new device in the operating room.

The Medtronic Cardioblate Gemini was recently approved by the FDA and is used during the minimally invasive MAZE procedure. Scott & White is among the few medical centers in the country that performs the highly complex MAZE – given its name based on the concept of a puzzle – which works by interrupting the circular electrical patterns that are responsible for arrhythmia.

“The equipment we were previously using was designed for the open procedure,” said Dr. Reiter, director of Scott & White’s Division of Cardiovascular Surgery. “This ablation device is designed exclusively for a minimally invasive approach. It works by putting a scar line around the areas where arrhythmias are occurring. The scar tissue keeps the irregular impulses from traveling throughout the heart, containing the extra signals that we don’t want and putting the heart back into rhythm.”

The hand-held Gemini, which comes in two versions, features a highly flexible “neck” that provides surgeons with increased placement options. It also is the first device of its type with bipolar radio frequency, delivering energy directly from the hand-piece. “This new device is easy to use and the hand controls are fantastic,” Dr. Beyer said after Monday’s procedure. “The ablation lines are much better.”

Medtronic Senior Marketing Manager Scott Klein said the Cardioblate Gemini is an industry first. “It’s a different ablating tool than what has been used for the MAZE procedure to date,” Klein said. “It’s easier for the physicians to use and more effective for the patient.”

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