Medtronic has received a license from Health Canada for its Symplicity Spyral multi-electrode renal denervation (RDN) system.
This is indicated for the management of essential hypertension in patients for whom blood pressure remains uncontrolled despite lifestyle modifications and guideline-driven medical therapy with antihypertensive medications, or when guideline-driven therapy is poorly tolerated.
The Symplicity blood pressure procedure is a minimally invasive technique that uses radiofrequency ablation to calm the nerves near the kidneys that can become overactive and contribute to high blood pressure. Nearly one in four Canadian adults are affected by hypertension, and it’s estimated that 90% of individuals will develop high blood pressure at some point during their lifetime.
“As the pioneer in renal denervation, we are looking forward to making a difference for hypertension patients in Canada,” says Maisie Cheung, director of marketing, Medtronic Canada. “This means more choices for patients—and offers physicians an adjunctive option along with lifestyle changes and medications to help manage patients with high blood pressure.”
“As we look to improve options to help manage patients with hypertension, we’re encouraged by this latest approval of the Symplicity Spyral renal denervation system,” said Sheldon Tobe, nephrologist and hypertension specialist, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre (Toronto, Canada). “There is a big unmet need in Canada for the subset of patients who can’t fully control hypertension with medication and/or lifestyle changes. This innovative procedure will help to fill that gap by potentially helping to improve blood pressure control.”
“The Symplicity blood pressure procedure opens the door to manage high blood pressure in the long term through a safe and effective procedure,” said Mina Madan, interventional cardiologist, Schulich Heart Program Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre (Toronto, Canada). “It’s really exciting to think about how this adjunctive therapy can help manage hypertension for many more people who’ve struggled to get their blood pressure under control in the past.”
The Heath Canada licence is based on clinical evidence backing the Symplicity blood pressure procedure.
