Stereotaxis
According to the American Heart Association, over 4.3 million Americans suffer from some type of heart arrhythmia.
RWJBarnabas Health offers a robotic treatment for common and complex arrhythmias. The Stereotaxis Gentle Touch Magnetic Navigation System, available at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, offers a high level of precision and safety.
Physicians operate two huge magnets, which are positioned outside the body, to precisely maneuver catheters throughout the delicate cardiovascular system. With the computer to assist in precise navigation, the doctor is then able to focus on the patient and the outcome rather than the mechanics of the procedure.
Stereotaxis is used to treat a number of heart irregularities including arrhythmias such as atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter, as well as supraventricular and ventricular tachycardias.
Stereotaxis Overview
The Stereotaxis Magnetic Navigation System is well suited for the diagnosis and treatment of common and complex arrhythmias, as successful treatment requires precise catheter positioning, often in hard to reach regions of the heart, which can be more consistently achieved using computerized, magnetic navigation.
Traditional techniques are challenging for physicians because they require very precise manual orientation of a relatively stiff catheter within potentially complex heart chamber anatomy.
The goal of Stereotaxis' technology is to contact the wall of the heart
in an optimal way. Softer, more flexible catheters may reduce the chance
of distorting or damaging the heart wall. By combining the benefits of
precise, computer-aided magnetic guidance with gentle catheter contact,
magnetic navigation believes it has the potential to enable softer, safer
interventional procedures with better outcomes and shorter patient recovery times.
Precise steering, greater safety, and reduced radiation exposure make magnetic navigation ideal for catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation, ventricular tachycardia, atrial tachycardia, and atrial flutter.
Conditions We Treat
Magnetic Navigation/Stereotaxis is used to treat a variety of heart conditions, including:
Arrhythmias
- Ventricular tachycardia (VT)
- Atrial fibrillation (AF)
- Atrial Flutter
- Congenital arrhythmias
- Supraventricular tachycardias
Other Heart Conditions
- Coronary artery disease, with procedures designed to reopen blocked arteries in coronary vessels with partial or total occlusion
- Heart failure, with interventional procedures such as cardiac resynchronization therapy
