[By NBC-1TV H. J Yook]Symetis Inc., a privately-owned Swiss company focused on transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) systems, announced that its ACURATE TA™ and ACURATE TF™ TAVI systems were used to successfully treat patients at the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery of the Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine. These procedures were performed as part of a feasibility study being conducted under the leadership of Professor Yoshiki Sawa.

The four patients were treated by Professor Toru Kuratani, with two patients receiving a transapical ACURATE TA™ valve and two patients receiving a transfemoral ACURATE TF™ valve. Immediate post-operative results demonstrated excellent outcomes, with all valves presenting zero or trace paravalvular leak, single-digit gradient and no complications.

Professor Y. Sawa, who will be the principal investigator of the upcoming PMDA study stated: “This is the first time that a second generation TAVI was implanted in Japan and we are proud to lead this clinical effort to bring the ACURATE™ TAVI systems to our patient population. These cases also marked our 100th TAVI implantation at Osaka University Hospital.”

Professor T. Kuratani commented on the ease of use of the Symetis products: “The uncomplicated, step-by-step delivery process for both the ACURATE TA™ and ACURATE TF™ provides the implanter with full control until final delivery. The positioning is intuitive and the absence of paravalvular leak is impressive”.