Canada approves Medtronic's cryoablation catheter for AF

Justine Varieur Cadet | | Health Imaging | Screening
Health Canada has approved Medtronic's Arctic Front cardiac cryoablation catheter system, the first cryoballoon in Canada indicated for the treatment of patients suffering from paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF).

Cryoballoon treatment involves a minimally-invasive procedure that creates circumferential lesions around the pulmonary vein, which is the source of erratic electrical signals that cause the irregular heartbeat. Cryoballoon-based technology ablates or blocks the conduction of AF in cardiac tissue through the use of a coolant delivered through a catheter, rather than heat. 

The Health Canada approval of the Arctic Front system was based on the pivotal STOP-AF (Sustained Treatment of Paroxysmal-AF) trial, according to the Minneapolis-based Medtronic.

Justine Varieur Cadet

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