UPDATE: Medtronic Announces Valiant Captivia Thoracic Stent Graft System Received FDA Approval for Treating Aortic Dissections,

Continuing to expand the role of endovascular aortic repair, Medtronic, Inc.

has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the Valiant Captivia Thoracic Stent Graft System to be used in the treatment of type B aortic dissections, a serious cardiovascular condition associated with high morbidity and mortality in which the upper segment of the body's main artery has become torn along the innermost layer of the vessel wall. Supported by the results of the U.S. Medtronic DISSECTION trial, the new indication expands treatment options for this challenging patient population by providing physicians with a minimally invasive alternative to open surgical repair and medical therapy. "Acute type B aortic dissection is a potentially life-threatening condition that historically has been treated with either medical therapy or, when necessary, through invasive surgical techniques," explained Joseph Bavaria, MD, professor of surgery and director of the thoracic aortic surgery program at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, and a national principal investigator