MARLBOROUGH, Mass., April 21, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- CardioFocus, Inc., developer of the HeartLight® Endoscopic Ablation System for the treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF), today announced that leading cardiologists across Germany will gather to discuss clinical experiences with the HeartLight System and its role in the treatment of advanced AF on April 23, as part of the program for the 80^th Annual Meeting of the German Cardiac Society in Mannheim, Germany.

The Symposium, titled "Ablation under Direct Vision: What We Learn from the Application of Endoscopic Laser Balloon," will focus on clinical advances with the HeartLight System since its introduction into Germany. It will highlight key findings and clinical results for achieving durable pulmonary vein isolation and optimizing long-term procedure efficacy. Additionally, a clinical study of 150 patients will be featured. The program is being chaired by Prof. Dr. Dietrich Andresen, MD, Head of the Department of Medicine and Cardiology at Klinikum am Urban/Im Friedrichshain Academic Hospital in Berlin, Germany and Erik Wissner, MD, who currently leads the Stereotaxis Laboratory at Asklepios Klinik St. Georg in Hamburg, Germany.

Dr. Andresen commented, "We are continuing to see positive patient outcomes resulting from the HeartLight System, as well as impressive longer-term success rates. The presentations that will be discussed at the Symposium document the HeartLight System as a new AF treatment option to provide more durable therapy.  We anticipate that clinical use of this system will continue to bring new insights and data that will address an important medical need for AF patients."

Dr. Wissner added, "The HeartLight system is gaining converts among AF ablation practitioners as they realize the benefit of intra-procedural visualization, as well as the ability to achieve more precise and durable ablation results through use of laser energy. The latest studies presented at the symposium and our own clinical experiences in Hamburg indicate that a high clinical single procedure success rate can be achieved with the HeartLight."

Stephen Sagon, President of CardioFocus, said, "Information that will be highlighted at this year's symposium will demonstrate the continued success of AF laser ablation procedures now that more than 2,000 patients have been treated using the HeartLight system.  We're eager to hear from the cardiologists about their experiences and patient outcomes, as they are routinely among those at the forefront of AF ablation research."

About CardioFocus, Inc.

CardioFocus, Inc. is a medical device manufacturer dedicated to advancing ablation treatment for cardiac disorders such as atrial fibrillation (AF). Its novel HeartLight® Endoscopic Ablation System for catheter ablation incorporates an endoscope to provide physicians with the capacity to see within the heart, and for the first time, visually direct the application of laser energy to achieve durable pulmonary vein isolation.

The HeartLight Endoscopic Ablation System is commercially available at leading institutions throughout Europe and in Australia. The device is investigational in the U.S., and currently the focus of a pivotal trial due to conclude in 2014. CardioFocus is headquartered in Marlborough, MA, USA.  For more information on the company and its technology, please visit www.CardioFocus.com.

The scientific information discussed in this news release is preliminary and investigative. The CardioFocus HeartLight Endoscopic Ablation System is not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and no conclusions can or should be drawn regarding the safety or effectiveness of the system. Only FDA can determine whether the product candidates are safe and effective for the use(s) being investigated. Healthcare professionals should refer to/rely upon FDA-approved labeling for the products, and not the information discussed in this news release.

SOURCE CardioFocus, Inc.