Lenox Hill Heart and Vascular Institute of New York and Mentice, Inc. Announce the Successful Completion of Their 1st Trans-septal Cardiac Catheterization Training Course: A Comprehensive Hands-On Tutorial with Certification on June 12th and 13th 2009 in New York City.

NEW YORK and Evanston, Ill., June 25 /PRNewswire/ -- Lenox Hill Heart and Vascular Institute of New York (Lenox Hill) and Mentice, Inc. (Mentice) partnered to coordinate the 1st trans-septal specific training course which incorporated high fidelity endovascular simulation utilizing the Mentice VIST™ endovascular simulator to enhance the training and overall learning experience of the course participants.

The two-day course included didactic presentations, live case demonstrations, a large library of recorded live-cases and hands-on Mentice simulator use which provided each participant the opportunity to train with an expert in the field of the trans-septal approach to access the left atrium. The Course Directors were Carlos E. Ruiz, MD, PhD, (Lenox Hill) and Howard H. Cohen, MD (Lenox Hill). The invited faculty was comprised of David R. Holmes, Jr. MD (Mayo Clinic) and Raoul Bonan, MD (Montreal Heart Institute). All four physicians acted as proctors at the Mentice simulators and shared their unique approach and experience to what can often be a challenging procedure.

"This was a great experience for all involved. In over thirty years of training physicians in many different catheterization procedures, this has been one of the most gratifying experiences. We can without doubt corroborate that well recorded live cases, good didactic step-by-step teaching and reliable simulators can provide the necessary learning experience and level of confidence to the trainees, to make them feel comfortable and safe when doing these procedures," said Carlos E. Ruiz, MD, PhD.

Mentice's VIST™ simulator allows a student, technician, nurse, resident, fellow and/or attending physician to gain exposure to routine and/or sophisticated procedures. The user can perform simulated procedures on a mannequin-type simulator in the areas of cardio-thoracic, interventional radiology, interventional cardiology, vascular surgery, neuro-intervention and a host of others. The simulator provides a realistic and hands-on experience which requires assessments to be made and associated clinical decisions to be executed.

This course was further significant as it provided Mentice with the opportunity to highlight its latest software that was developed in conjunction with St. Jude Medical, Inc., a medical device manufacturer that develops medical technology and services to treat cardiac, neurological and chronic pain patients, worldwide.

"Participation in this course with both Lenox Hill and St. Jude Medical was exactly how we envisioned the medical device industry, teaching institutions and Mentice partnering together. The collaboration of expertise between entities will drive better training and better clinical outcomes - both of which will contribute to the overall enhancement of patient safety. We are thrilled to be partners with two such leaders in this field and are pleased that our VIST™ simulator was selected as the vehicle for the hands on training portion of this program," said Tim Shannon, President, Mentice, Inc.

About Lenox Hill Hospital:

Lenox Hill Hospital, a 652-bed, acute care hospital located on Manhattan's Upper East Side, has earned a national reputation for outstanding patient care and innovative medical and surgical treatments. The hospital is particularly well known for excellence in internal medicine, cardiovascular disease, orthopedics, sports medicine, otolaryngology/head and neck surgery, and maternal/child health. The Hospital is also a recognized leader in public health education and community outreach. For more information, please call 212.434.2000.

About Mentice:

Mentice is a leader in medical simulation with approximately 600 installations worldwide, 100+ validation studies and more than 30 issued and pending patents. Mentice's "Family of Simulators" focuses on the area of minimally invasive surgery within the fields of endovascular intervention, core skills training, laparoscopy and arthroscopy training.