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HONG KONG, June 22, 2014 - (ACN Newswire) - Lifetech Scientific Corporation (Hong Kong stock code: 1302) is pleased to announce that its LAmbreTM LAA occluder has successfully been implanted in more than 100 patients worldwide. Professor Yat-Yin LAM from The Chinese University of Hong Kong has contributed significantly to the development of this cutting -edge occluder, which puts Hong Kong at the global forefront of innovative devices for reducing strokes in patients with an abnormal heart rhythm (atrial fibrillation, AF).
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AF is the most common form of heart rhythm disorder and its incidence increases with age. This abnormal heart rhythm is closely related to the outbreak of coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, valvular heart disease and heart failure. Thus AF is expected to become one of the biggest health burdens in the future as the population ages worldwide.
While AF is commonly seen in people with other heart conditions such as hypertension, coronary heart disease, cardiac surgery, valvular heart disease, heart failure and congenital heart disease, it is also related to hyperthyroidism, excessive alcohol consumption, stress, electrolytes disturbances and severe infections.
The overall incidence of AF in adults is 0.8%-1.2% and it increases with age: 2% for people aged 60-69 and up to 10% for people aged over 75 years. AF patients have a 5- to 7-fold higher risk of developing stroke as a result of the blockage of one of the brain arteries by a clot dislodged from the heart. Around 90% of the clots causing stroke are formed in the left atrial appendage (LAA) and AF-related stroke is associated with an outcome of death or severe permanent disability in 60% of cases.
Oral blood thinners are commonly used for the prevention of AF-related stroke. Warfarin, the traditional oral anticoagulant can prevent 70% of strokes but it also is conducive to bleeding and therefore it is not suitable for many elderly patients. The new oral anticoagulants (NOAC) are effective in the prevention of thromboembolism without the hassle of frequent blood monitoring and dose adjustment necessary with warfarin. However, these new drugs still cause more frequent bleeding and they are therefore not suitable for patients who have a severe tendency to bleed or an impairment of renal functions. Alternatively, open heart surgery can be performed to remove or ligate the LAA but the operation requires prolonged general anesthesia, hospital stay and rehabilitation. In recent years, LAA occlusion by a minimally-invasive catheter-based approach is becoming a new treatment option for preventing AF-related stroke. During the last decade the new approach has been applied to patients worldwide.
LAA occlusion is a minimally invasive operation using a device to occlude the opening of LAA and thereby prevent the formation of internal clots. This therapy has been proven to be equally effective as warfarin in reducing the incidence of AF-related strokes.
However, the existing commercially available LAA-occluding devices have limitations including the need for a relatively large delivery sheath (9-14French) and limited recapture and repositioning capabilities. There are significant risks of complications during the procedure, in particular pericardial effusion due to heart perforation or device dislodgement. Success of the operation largely relies on the technique of doctors and this limits the wider application of this cutting edge technology to the general public. To overcome these limitations, Professor LAM, who performed the earliest LAA occlusion operations in Asia, began to develop a novel and self-expanding LAA occluder called "LAmbreTM" with Lifetech Scientific Corporation starting in 2010. LAmbreTM is constructed from a nitinol mesh and polyester membranes and consists of an umbrella and a cover connected by a short central waist. The device is delivered by an 8-10 French sheath and has full recapture and repositioning capabilities. Its special design facilitates a much easier deployment in LAA, so doctors could operate with less stress and more confidence. In addition, this device has been developed with the aim to simplify the surgical procedure which could be potentially performed with local anesthesia only.
Mr. ZHAO Yiwei Michael, the Executive Director and CEO of Lifetech Scientific Corporation, says, "The LAmbreTM occluder of Lifetech Scientific Corporation has been successfully implanted in more than 100 patients worldwide with 100 percent success. It is an important milestone for Chinese medical advances to set the benchmark for the new generation of LAA occluders. This major breakthrough is an important advance in the field of LAA occlusion to reduce strokes in AF patients who are not well-suited for taking oral blood thinners over the long term."
Contact:
Lifetech Scientific Corporation
Mr. Jerry Zhu Tel: (86) 8602 6250-8915 Email: jerry.zhu@lifetechmed.com
Professor Yat-Yin LAM
Ms. Amelia Iu Tel: (852) 6286 0701 Email: amelia.iu@cuhk.edu.hk
Strategic Financial Relations (China) Limited
Ms. Nan Dong Tel: (852) 2864 4811 Email: nan.dong@sprg.com.hk
Ms. Winnie Lau Tel: (852) 2864 4876 Email: winnie.lau@sprg.com.hk
Topic: Press release summary
Source: Lifetech Scientific Corporation
Sectors: Daily Finance, Daily News, Healthcare & Pharm
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From the Asia Corporate News Network
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