AUSTIN, Texas—The Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute at St. David’s Medical Center recently began enrolling patients to participate in the DIAMOND-AF II clinical trial to examine the effectiveness of the DiamondTemp System in treating patients with persistent atrial fibrillation, or A Fib. A Fib is a type of irregular heartbeat that affects the electrical system, or “wiring,” of the heart muscle, causing the blood to pool in the heart and form clots that can travel to the brain. If left untreated, A Fib can increase the risk of stroke.
The ablation system is made up of an ablation catheter (a thin, flexible plastic tube that is inserted into your body and heart), a radiofrequency generator and an irrigation pump. The generator delivers radiofrequency (RF) energy to the catheter via a unique temperature-controlled approach to create an ablation, which occurs when RF energy travels through the catheter, into the heart tissue to heat up a small area and create a scar to block the irregular heart rhythms causing A Fib. Then the irrigation pump delivers saline to the inside of the catheter to cool the catheter tip during ablation.
“This ablation system allows us to ablate at a higher power in a shorter amount of time with the added feedback provided by instantaneous computer-controlled tissue temperature measurements,” Andrea Natale, M.D., F.A.C.C., F.H.R.S., F.E.S.C., executive medical director of the Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute at St. David’s Medical Center and principal investigator for the trial, said. “This approach results in better lesions, which could ultimately translate into better outcomes for the patient.”
TCAI recently completed enrollment for the DIAMOND-AF study to evaluate the DiamondTemp System for the treatment of paroxysmal A Fib, or A Fib lasting less than one week. The DIAMOND-AF II study is expected to run through next year.
Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute
Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute (TCAI) at St. David’s Medical Center is one of the world’s preeminent centers dedicated to the latest treatment advances for correcting abnormal heart rhythms such as Atrial Fibrillation (A Fib). The center is led by Executive Medical Director Andrea Natale, M.D., a world-renowned expert in the field. Natale is at the forefront of advancing treatment for A Fib, leading numerous clinical trials and participating in the development of new technologies and procedures.
St. David’s Medical Center
St. David’s Medical Center, which is part of St. David’s HealthCare, is a full-service medical center offering comprehensive medical care at three locations—St. David’s Medical Center, Heart Hospital of Austin and St. David’s Georgetown Hospital.
Located in Central Austin, St. David’s Medical Center includes a 374-bed acute care hospital and a 64-bed rehabilitation hospital providing comprehensive inpatient and outpatient care. It is home to the internationally renowned Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute and St. David’s Neuroscience & Spine Institute. The hospital provides a complete range of women’s services, including its acclaimed maternity unit, maternal-fetal medicine, a high-risk maternal and neonatal transport team, the region’s largest Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and The Breast Center; complex surgical services; a comprehensive Bariatric Surgery Center; and a 24-hour emergency department. In 2018, St. David’s Medical Center was named among the Top 50 Hospitals in the nation by Healthgrades.
Media Contacts:
Erin Ochoa or Kristin Marcum
Elizabeth Christian Public Relations
(512) 472-9599