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Peter Haigney or Cheryl Sarfaty Patricia Hansen or Jennifer Forbes Mullenhard
RWJUH Public Relations UMDNJ-RWJMS Public Affairs
(732) 937-8521 (732) 235-6307
UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson brings leading-edge arrhythmia therapy to New Brunswick region
New Brunswick, NJ – Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) and UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School (RWJMS) have completed their installation of the Stereotaxis Remote Magnetic Navigation System, manufactured by Stereotaxis, Inc., to treat complex cardiac arrhythmias.
The Stereotaxis System is the only remote magnetic navigation technology currently installed in the central New Jersey region to perform cardiac ablations. Physicians affiliated with RWJUH and UMDNJ-RWJMS use the system to perform both routine and complex ablations in all four chambers of the heart.
Cardiac arrhythmia refers to any disturbance in the heart’s normal rhythm. Arrhythmias occurring on the left upper chamber of the heart are the most common abnormal heart rhythm, affecting about 2.6 million people in the United States. People with this condition are five to seven times more likely to have a stroke, and also may suffer from permanent damage to the heart, such as congestive heart failure and dilated heart chambers.
The Stereotaxis System allows physicians to treat any cardiac arrhythmia with a great degree of safety, precision and efficiency, and the system has been proven to deliver excellent clinical outcomes. Cardiac arrhythmia refers to any abnormal heart rhythm and runs the spectrum from benign extra beats to life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias. Atrial fibrillation is the most common abnormal heart rhythm, affecting 2.6 million people in the United States. People with this condition are five to seven times more likely to have a stroke, have a higher risk of death, and may also suffer from worsening of heart function and heart failure.
Traditionally, electrophysiologists manipulate catheters in the heart manually and position them in the heart using X-ray and electrical signals from the catheter. The Stereotaxis System allows the electrophysiologist to manipulate the catheters robotically with magnetic fields, moving the magnetically tipped catheter. As a result, this enables the physician to safely position the catheter in most any location of the heart.
“This is a major step forward for patients with cardiac arrhythmia,” said James Coromilas, MD, Professor of Medicine, Chief, Division of Cardiovascular Diseases and Hypertension at UMDNJ-RWJMS and Chief of Cardiology at RWJUH. “Traditionally, cardiac ablations are performed manually with a stiff catheter. Stereotaxis allows the manipulation of a soft, magnetic-tipped catheter with a tremendous level of precision and safety since there is less of a chance of creating a perforation in the heart. This significantly reduces the complications of a successful ablation. The Stereotaxis System will allow us to perform atrial fibrillation ablations more efficiently, with lower risk of complications and less radiation exposure. This is a major advance in our ability to treat atrial fibrillation, which will affect five to 10 million Americans by the year 2040.”
Installed in more than 140 leading institutions around the world, the system also has an exceptional safety record.
“Every day, new technologies are paving the way for better outcomes and improved quality of life for heart patients,” said Subhashini Gowda, an Electrophysiologist affiliated with RWJUH and the New Brunswick Cardiology Group. “We continuously strive to reach higher standards of excellence in care and we are committed to providing the most advanced tools to allow doctors to find and treat problems quickly, using the least invasive methods.”
The medical evidence presented in more than 125 published studies demonstrates that arrhythmia procedures with Stereotaxis can be performed with a high degree of safety and effectiveness. Patients return to routine activities rapidly.
To learn more about RWJUH, please visit www.rwjuh.edu. For a referral to a physician affiliated with RWJUH, please call 1-888-MD-RWJUH. Follow us on Twitter at www.rwjuh.edu/twitter and Facebook at www.rwjuh.edu/facebook.
To learn more about UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, log on to rwjms.umdnj.edu. Find our fan page on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @UMDNJ_RWJMS.
About Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) is a 600-bed academic medical center and the principal hospital of UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Brunswick, NJ. Robert Wood Johnson is an innovative leader in advancing state-of-the-art care. RWJUH is the first hospital in the nation to implant the AbioCor self-contained artificial heart since the device received FDA approval in 2006. RWJUH is one of only three sites in the nation approved to offer this groundbreaking technology. Its Centers of Excellence include cardiovascular care from minimally invasive heart surgery to transplantation, cancer care, and women’s and children’s care including The Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (www.bmsch.org). The hospital is also a Level 1 Trauma Center and serves as a national resource in its ground-breaking approaches to emergency preparedness. The hospital has earned significant national recognition for clinical quality and patient safety. Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital ranks among “America’s Best Hospitals,” according to U.S.News & World Report’s 2010 ranking of “America’s Best Hospitals.” It is the fourth consecutive year that RWJUH has achieved this prestigious ranking. The American College of Surgeons’ Commission on Cancer has rated RWJUH among the nation's best comprehensive cancer centers. The Leapfrog Group rated RWJUH as one of the 50 exceptional U.S. hospitals, as published in Consumers Digest magazine. Harvard University researchers, in a study commissioned by The Commonwealth Fund, identified RWJUH as one of the top 10 hospitals in the nation for clinical quality. RWJUH is also a recipient of the prestigious Magnet Award for Nursing Excellence for more than 10 consecutive years. Visit us online at www.rwjuh.edu.
About UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
As one of the nation’s leading comprehensive medical schools, UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School is dedicated to the pursuit of excellence in education, research, health care delivery, and the promotion of community health. In cooperation with Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, the medical school’s principal affiliate, they comprise New Jersey’s premier academic medical center. In addition, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School has 34 other hospital affiliates and ambulatory care sites throughout the region. As one of the eight schools of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey with 2, 800 full-time and volunteer faculty, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School encompasses 22 basic science and clinical departments, hosts centers and institutes including The Cancer Institute of New Jersey, the Child Health Institute of New Jersey, the Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine, the Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, and the Stem Cell Institute of New Jersey. The medical school maintains educational programs at the undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate levels for more than 1,500 students on its campuses in New Brunswick, Piscataway and Camden, and provides continuing education courses for health care professionals and community education programs.
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