FUJIFILM Healthcare Americas Corporation announced the launch of its OPIE Transducer for on-pump intracardiac echocardiography (OPIE) for septal myectomy. Early clinical users of the OPIE transducer will discuss how the technology helps to evaluate the ventricular septal thickness during septal myectomy surgery by providing real-time imaging visualization during the 104th American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS) meeting held April 27-30 in Toronto, ON, Canada. Traditionally, a cardiothoracic surgeon uses transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) before performing septal myectomy.

Currently, TEE cannot be leveraged during cardiac bypass surgery. Instead, a surgeon views the patient's septal thickness via TEE prior to performing open-heart surgery and would trim the septum - if necessary - without real-time guidance. However, with OPIE, a thin transducer is passed into the heart during the myectomy where images of the patient's septal thick can be seen in real-time.

Real-time measurements of the interventricular septal thickness are crucial during septal myectomy to avoid creating a ventricular septal defect while resecting enough myocardium. The OPIE transducer is compatible with Fujifilm's premium ultrasound system, the ARIETTA Precision. During the AATS annual meeting, Daniel G. Swistel, MD, Professor, Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery at NYU Grossman School of Medicine and Nicolas Smedira, MD, Cardiothoracic Surgeon with the Cleveland Clinic, will discuss their clinical experience using Fujifilm's ARIETTA Precision with the OPIE transducer during open heart surgery, and explain the advantages of cardiothoracic surgeons having real-time visualization to help assist with septal myectomy surgical procedures.

Their joint presentation is taking place on April 27th from 6:20-6:40 pm at the Product Technology Theatre (Theatre 2). In addition to the OPIE Transducer and ARIETTA Precision Ultrasound system, Fujifilm will also demonstrate the ELUXEO Vision, an FDA-designated Breakthrough Device that provides real-time tissue oxygenation visualization for laparoscopic and endoscopic applications at AATS booth #431A. Also during the AATS annual meeting, Takeo Fujita, MD, PhD, FACS, Director, Division of Digestive Surgical Oncology, Esophageal Surgery with the National Cancer Center Hospital East, Japan, will discuss how the ELUXEO Vision helps assess tissue oxygen saturation and its correlation with indocyanine green in the gastric conduit during thoracic esophagectomy on April 29 from 9:00-9:30 am at the Tech Theater Session II.

The OPIE transduer is currently available in the United States and is pending regulatory requirements in Canada.