First patients enrolled in trial of catheter ablation device that can see inside a beating heart and uses laser energy to treat atrial fibrillation

Called the HeartLight® Endoscopic Ablation System, it is the first technology that allows cardiologists to see inside a beating heart while performing laser energy catheter ablation, a treatment aimed at restoring normal heart rhythm after medication has failed. Beaumont is the only center in Michigan participating in this study and one of the first in the U.S. to begin enrollment.

“What makes this device unique is its ability to allow doctors to directly see inside the heart in real-time while performing the ablation, which may reduce the likelihood that a patient will need a repeat procedure,” explains Dr. Kutinsky. “Traditional ablation does not provide direct visual guidance.”

Whether you come to Beaumont for an EKG or a heart attack, you’ll find the most advanced heart care anywhere.

Beaumont, we pioneered a procedure – now used around the world – that actually stops heart attacks while they are happening. As the leader in minimally invasive heart surgery, we were first in the country to use a tiny catheter to replace an aortic valve.

We were also first in Michigan to correct atrial fibrillation robotically, and now we offer minimally invasive treatment for aneurysms.

Beaumont-led research may reduce unnecessary procedures and cost

An important research study, led by Beaumont Health System cardiologists and involving 47 hospitals and outpatient centers in Michigan, may help spare patients from unnecessary invasive heart procedures while lowering health care costs.

The research is published in the Feb. 14 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. It found that coronary computed tomography angiography, where heart arteries are imaged with a CT scanner, is very effective at identifying obstructive heart disease requiring an invasive heart catheterization procedure.