Marian Regional Medical Center First in the World to Use New Technology for Abnormal Heart Beats
In August 2020, Brett Gidney, MD, a Cardiac Electrophysiologist from Dignity Health - Marian Regional Medical Center (MRMC) was almost turned away from a Lithuanian airport. It was the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic and international travel was severely restricted. However, the Lithuanian government produced letters to ensure his entry to consult on a new medical advancement.
Dr. Gidney was among a group of physicians and engineers invited by Johnson and Johnson to help advance catheter ablation procedures. These treatments correct abnormal heart rhythms by guiding a tube into the heart to destroy tissue that is causing the condition. Their mission was to conceptualize how a NuVision 3D Intracardiac Echo Catheter, called NUVISION by Biosense Webster, could integrate 3D mapping and ultrasound technology to treat abnormal heart rhythms.
“I was excited to be on the frontier of something new,” recalls Dr. Gidney. “We were given a tool and told to explore the possibilities.”
The team was successful. In February 2023, the Food and Drug Administration approved the catheter, called NuvisonNAV, and MRMC was chosen as the site to perform the first-ever procedure.
“We chose Marian as a great first place because Dr. Gidney and the Marian Cath lab team are indispensable in their ability to provide high quality work,” shares Leah Shady, Biosense Webster Executive Clinical Account Specialist. “Dr. Gidney has performed a record amount of ablation procedures and has great excitement for new technology!”
In May 2023, Dr. Gidney, his team of two nurses, three techs, and one anesthesiologist, performed the ablation procedure using NuvisonNAV. The technology allowed them to view an entire chamber of the heart, as it was beating, in 3D, in intricate detail and in real-time while performing the minimally-invasive procedure.
“I’m proud to say it was a success!” says Dr. Gidney. “While it may take time for this technology to be adopted globally, Marian Regional Medical Center was honored as the first institution worldwide to implement the new catheter in patients.”
Sue Andersen, President and CEO of MRMC adds, “This distinction positions Marian Regional Medical Center as a premier destination for advanced heart rhythm care and solidifies its commitment to providing exceptional health care solutions.”
To learn more about award winning cardiac care at Marian Regional Medical Center, please click here. To connect with a Dignity Health heart specialist, visit our online Find A Doctor tool or call 855.401.1475.