Seattle, WA–April 27, 2015—A panel of distinguished heart surgeons from leading cardiac centers shared their experiences and strategies to optimize patient recovery after cardiothoracic surgery at a panel discussion in Seattle yesterday. Of emphasis was the ongoing challenge of high complication rates for patients struggling with postoperative acute, sub-acute and chronic complications after surgery due to inadequate drainage, known as Retained Blood Syndrome (RBS).

ClearFlow, Inc., a medical device company based in Anaheim, CA, hosted the Symposium at the recent American Association of Thoracic Surgeons (AATS) meeting in Seattle, where its award-winning technology was on exhibit for over 2,400 cardiac surgeons and healthcare professionals. ClearFlow is the manufacturer of the innovative PleuraFlow® Active Clearance Technology® System – a first of its kind technology that enables caregivers to proactively keep chest drainage tubes clear of blood clots after heart surgery.

In the meeting, the panel consisting of some of the world’s leading heart surgeons discussed their unique perspectives on Retained Blood Syndrome, and new data focused on post-op complication rates was presented, unveiling new insight into the level of significance Retained Blood Syndrome poses after cardiac surgery.

Marc Gillinov, MD, a surgeon from the Cleveland Clinic, discussed the incidence and consequences of the complications that can result from the incomplete evacuation of blood from a patient’s chest after cardiac surgery. Louis Perrault, MD, Ph.D., FRSCS, from Montreal Heart Institute, described the role of active clearance technology in reducing effusions and postoperative atrial fibrillation.

Data collected from the MarketScan® PIDB and Commercial Medicare Databases for 234,555 US adult cardiac surgery patients was discussed. It was shown that 17% of the heart surgery patients required one or more additional re-interventions to address complications associated with Retained Blood Syndrome. Other notable results include longer length of both ICU and hospital stays, increased rates of Postoperative Atrial Fibrillation (POAF) and a doubling of mortality. Over one third of patients with Retained Blood Syndrome required readmission by 90 days, a marked increase compared to those without Retained Blood Syndrome. These complications increased the total average hospital costs by $23,400 per patient for patients that had Retained Blood Syndrome.

“The new data on readmission rates is sure to be an eye opener for many,” said the panel moderator and ClearFlow’s Founder and Chairman, Edward Boyle, MD. “The numbers drive home just how serious a problem blood evacuation after cardiac surgery is and how the chest tube drainage systems used today in most hospitals are not providing consistent or adequate drainage. The good news is that we’re discussing a problem that has an existing solution in the form of PleuraFlow technology — an easy to implement medical device that has been shown in a clinical study to significantly lower these common and expensive hospital complications.”

“The new data presented at our symposium yesterday clearly demonstrated that far too many patients are experiencing unnecessary additional painful procedures and costs due to unacceptable failure with current products used for wound drainage post-cardiac surgery,” said ClearFlow President & CEO, Paul Molloy. “With nearly one in five cardiac surgery patients today having some form of treatment for complications associated with Retained Blood Syndrome, it’s quite obvious that this is an expensive cost burden to hospitals, patients, and payers. ClearFlow offers a Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) Program to help hospitals determine the rate of Retained Blood Syndrome in their institutions and to help keep their patient’s chest tubes open during the critical first 24 hours after cardiothoracic surgery. ”

The PleuraFlow Active Clearance Technology System is approved for use in the U.S., Europe, Australia, Brazil, Canada, and other countries in Asia and the Middle East.

About ClearFlow, Inc.

ClearFlow, Inc. is an Anaheim, CA based medical device company that has developed a patented active blood and fluid evacuation system to speed recovery, reduce complications and lower healthcare costs related to medical tube obstruction. The company has been awarded several prestigious awards, including the European Association of Cardiothoracic Surgeons Techno-College Innovation Award for worldwide innovation that has the potential to change the standard of care in heart and lung surgery, and the Innovations in Cardiovascular Interventions Award, among others.

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PleuraFlow and Active Clearance Technology are registered trademarks of ClearFlow, Inc.

Media Contact: Paul Williams 310/569-0023 paul@medialinecommunications.co