Edwards Launches Magna Mitral Ease Valve in United States and Europe

September 13, 2010—Edwards Lifesciences (Irvine, CA) announced the launch in the United States and Europe of its Carpentier-Edwards Perimount Magna Mitral Ease valve, which is designed to enhance implantation in the challenging mitral position. The device is a pericardial tissue-based bioprosthetic device for patients requiring replacement of diseased mitral heart valves.

According to the company, the Magna Mitral Ease valve incorporates new features to facilitate access, placement, and suturing during both conventional and minimally invasive heart valve surgeries, especially those using a thoracotomy. Its product enhancements include a tricolored holder, suture guideline, wide saddle-shaped cuff, and new accessories.

“Magna Mitral Ease can help us to achieve continuous improvements in the treatment of patients by maintaining the excellent hemodynamics of its predecessor, while improving and simplifying mitral valve implantation,” commented Professor Jan Gummert, MD, of University Hospital of the Ruhr-University of Bochum, Germany, where the first implantation of the Magna Mitral Ease valve was performed using a minimally invasive thoracotomy procedure.



The company also announced that Malakh Shrestha, MD, provided a preliminary, single-center case presentation on Edwards’ investigational, minimally invasive, rapid deployment Odyssey aortic valve platform at the annual meeting of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery in Geneva, Switzerland. This initial series of aortic valve replacement procedures at Hannover Medical School in Germany using the Odyssey platform demonstrated an approximately 50% reduction in bypass and cross-clamp times when compared to conventional, isolated aortic valve surgery. The Odyssey platform is currently being studied in Europe as part of the TRITON trial. Additional data are expected to be announced after enrollment and patient follow-up are completed, the company stated.