Compositions, apparatus and methods for facilitating surgical procedures
First Claim
1. A method of inducing a period of reversible ventricular asystole to facilitate a medical procedure, while maintaining the ability of the heart to be electrically paced, comprising:
- inducing third-degree AV block of the heart in a patient by vagal nerve stimulation; and
administering to said patient at least one compound which is capable of substantially suppressing ectopic ventricular beats in the heart during asystole.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Methods are provided for conducting surgical procedures in a patient wherein, during the surgical procedure, autonomous ventricular electrical conductivity and escape beats are reversibly and transiently suppressed to facilitate the surgical procedure. Also provided are compositions which are capable of inducing ventricular asystole in a patient. The compossitions may include an AV node blocker. In one embodiment, compositions including an atrioventricular (AV) node blocker and a β-blocker are provided, wherein the β-blocker is present in an amount sufficient to substantially reduce the amount of AV node blocker required to induce ventricular asystole in the patient. The compositions and methods may be used for inducing temporary ventricular asystole in a beating heart, and to facilitate the performance of a variety of surgical techniques, including minimally invasive microsurgical techniques. Methods for performing a surgical procedure on a human patient are provided wherein a composition capable of inducing transient reversible ventricular asystole is administered to the heart, for example by intracoronary injection. The heart then is electrically paced using an electrical pacing stysem, thereby to maintain the patient'"'"'s blood circulation. The electrical pacing then is selectively intermittently stopped to allow ventricular asystole to occur, and the steps of the surgical or therapeutic procedure, such as suturing, are conducted during the time that the electrical pacing is intermittently stopped. The methods and comositions advantageously may be used in a range of different surgical procedures including cardiac, vascular and neurosurgical procedures.
-
Citations
22 Claims
-
1. A method of inducing a period of reversible ventricular asystole to facilitate a medical procedure, while maintaining the ability of the heart to be electrically paced, comprising:
-
inducing third-degree AV block of the heart in a patient by vagal nerve stimulation; and administering to said patient at least one compound which is capable of substantially suppressing ectopic ventricular beats in the heart during asystole. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
-
-
11. A method of inducing a period of reversible ventricular asystole in a patient to facilitate a medical procedure comprising:
-
inducing third-degree AV block of the heart by vagal nerve stimulation; and administering a B-blocker to the heart of the patient during asystole.
-
-
12. A method of inducing a period of reversible ventricular asystole to facilitate a medical procedure, while maintaining the ability of the heart to be electrically paced, comprising:
-
inducing third-degree AV block of the heart in a patient by direct electrical stimulation; and administering to said patient at least one compound which is capable of substantially suppressing ectopic ventricular beats in the heart during asystole. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
-
-
22. A method of inducing a period of reversible ventricular asystole in a patient to facilitate a medical procedure comprising:
-
inducing third-degree AV block of the heart by direct electrical stimulation; and administering a B-blocker to the heart of the patient during asystole.
-
Specification