New 3D Imaging Technology Reveals Heart's 'Unanswered Questions'

DALLAS, TX, Apr 17 (MARKET WIRE) --
Cardiovascular surgeons and anesthesiologists at Presbyterian Hospital of
Dallas have begun using a new type of echocardiogram that provides the
first-ever live 3D images of the beating heart moments before surgery. The
technology is expected to help surgeons better determine the course of
open-heart surgeries and better treat people with heart failure, one of
theleading causes of death in the United States.

"Ultrasound imaging is beneficial because it is a relatively non-invasive
way to look
inside the body," said Dr. Melvin Platt, medical director of
cardiovascular surgery at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas. "But until now those
images left many unanswered questions. There's no question this technology
adds a whole new dimension to what we're able to see."

The 3D images are generated through a probe inserted into the patient's
throat
before surgery. The device uses ultrasound, which are high-frequency sound waves
that
produce moving images of the body's internal soft tissues. The common cardiac
ultrasound used up to now provided only flat, two-dimensional images in black
and white.

"This is an important technology because it will allow us to better
determine
the health of different parts of the heart," Dr. Platt said. "In some cases,
it may eliminate the need to replace heart valves that we otherwise would
not have known were healthy. But its primary value is in giving us better
definition of valve abnormalities that do require treatment so the most
effective
therapy can be carried out."

Until now, doctors only could see 3-D images of heart valves by actually
looking
directly at the valves during surgery -- after the surgical site was 'open'
and the patient had been put on the bypass machine. "At that point, the heart
isn't moving, so you're not able to determine the functional integrity of the
valve as it pumps blood," Dr. Platt said. "With these live 3-D pictures, we can
now see those valves at work."

The 3D images also can be taken before surgeons close the surgical site,
telling them whether any leaks exist or additional procedures are needed.

"Without this, you're not able to get some important feedback until the
procedure is over and the surgeon has closed the patient up," said Dr. Thomas
Russell, a cardiac anesthesiologist at Presbyterian. "Now, we can generate
live 3D images in the operating room during surgery, which tells us if there
are any complications that need to be addressed."

Since the images provide more information about the heart, surgeons will
better know which parts need to be examined -- and whether they can be
repaired rather than replaced. Valve replacement surgery, while an effective
treatment in most cases, often requires that patients take blood thinners for
the rest of their lives, which can increase the risk of stroke. Repaired
valves also tend to last longer than replacement valves, which come from animal
or cadaver tissue.

Heart failure, which includes faulty mitral and aortic heart valves that can
now be seen more clearly with the new 3D technology, is the leading cause of
hospital admissions in the United States and one of deadliest diseases in the
world.

According to the American Heart Association, there are about 5 million heart
failure patients in the United States and 550,000 new cases of heart failure
diagnosed annually. This includes 10 out of every 1,000 people over the age of
65. Of newly diagnosed patients under the age of 65, about 80 percent of the
men and 70 percent of the women will die within eight years.

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Contact:
Stephen O'Brien
Public Relations Manager
Office 214.345.4960
Page 214.759.2584
stephenobrien@texashealth.org

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