St Jude Medical reports first transapical implant of Portico valve

St Jude Medical has announced the first patient implant of its Portico transcatheter aortic heart valve using the transapical delivery system has been carried out in Canada.

Performed by Dr Anson Cheung, associate professor of surgery at St Paul's Hospital in Vancouver, the operation involved a small incision being made between the patient's ribs, allowing the valve to be delivered through the apex of the left ventricle of the heart.

This is considered a less risky alternative for those patients for whom conventional open-heart surgery would be unsuitable, such as those with severe aortic stenosis.

St Jude Medical was granted European CE Mark approval for this new treatment method earlier this month and is still seeking a corresponding decision from US regulators.

Frank Callaghan, president of St Jude Medical's cardiovascular and ablation technologies division, said: "The first patient implanted with the transapical delivery approach represents a significant milestone in our ongoing efforts to provide physicians with a wide range of options to best treat their patients."

The company also recently announced data from a clinical study supporting the safety and efficacy of its EnligHTN renal denervation system in the treatment of high blood pressure.