Medtronic Launches Avalus Ultra Heart Valve in Western Europe

Medtronic has launched its Avalus Ultra bioprosthesis valve in Western Europe. The company made this announcement during the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (EACTS) Congress in Lisbon, Portugal.
 
Medtronic said the Avalus Ultra valve provides ease of use at implantation, clear visibility for possible TAV-in-SAV procedures, and industry-leading effective orifice areas (EOA) with long-term valve durability based on a decade of clinical experience with the valve.
 
Avalus Ultra features a polyetheretherketone (PEEK) base frame, which the company said offers a durable foundation to maintain valve clarity. It also touts a radiopaque coil for clear visibility in potential TAV-in-SAV procedures.
 
The first implantation of the Avalus Ultra valve in Western Europe occurred last week at the Heart Center in Leipzig, Germany, where Professor Michael Borger and his team successfully conducted two aortic valve replacements using the Avalus Ultra valve through minimally invasive access.
 
“We are thrilled to further expand access to the Avalus Ultra valve by launching in Western Europe at the prominent EACTS annual congress,” said Karim Bandali, Ph.D., president of Medtronic’s Cardiac Surgery business. “The Avalus Ultra valve launch builds on several successful innovation launches this year, including the acquisition and launch of the Penditure Left Atrial Appendage (LAA) Exclusion System and the VitalFlow Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) system, making Medtronic Cardiac Surgery the most robust cardiac surgery portfolio offering available today. This further demonstrates the company’s commitment to boldly invest in innovation across multiple cardiovascular and respiratory therapies to advance treatment options for more complex disease, and address clinicians’ growing need for managing patients holistically over their lifetime.”
 
Medtronic launched the Avalus Ultra valve in the U.S. in April of this year.