Unlocking the Dimensions  of the Human Heart New  Strength  for Stroke  Treatment OPTIMISTIC OUTLOOK  *  T hermocool ®  Navigation  Catheters are approved for drug  refractory recurrent symptomatic  paroxysmal atrial fibrillation when  used with  C arto ®  Systems  (excluding  N avistar ®  RMT  T hermocool ®  Catheter). “There is a very fine line  between doing the right thing  for the patient and taking a  chance of a complication,” says  For seven years prior to his procedure, Tom suffered  frequent AFib flare-ups that lasted anywhere from two to eight hours. “It was  depressing,” he says, recalling  the extreme fatigue that came  with them. Recently retired,  he loves taking long walks and  is enjoying living life again.  “All that anxiety and stress is  gone. My life has changed  completely.” Dr. Natale. “The  C arto ® 3 System shows you, in real  time, exactly where you are. It allows you to create a virtual geometry of the heart,  to do the procedure very accurately.” Thomas Buehler,  57 , of Round  Lake, Ill., is hopeful he has  kicked atrial fibrillation (AFib)  for life. He hasn’t had a recur- rence since his AFib ablation*  procedure more than a year ago,  and his electrophysiologist,  Andrea Natale,  M.D ., F.A.C.C.,  F.H.R.S., shares his optimism.  “Although we can never tell a  patient to forget about it  completely,” says Dr. Natale, “in general when people do well beyond one year, the  chance of a recurrence later in life is very small.” The most common form of  irregular heartbeat, AFib affects  more than  20  million people  worldwide and is the leading  cause of stroke among people  over age  65 . A treatment called  AFib ablation passes energy  through a thin wire catheter  placed inside the heart to  disrupt specific tissue identified  as a trigger. The  C arto ® 3 System, the most advanced 3- D imaging technology from  Biosense Webster, Inc., helps  electrophysiologists perform  AFib ablation with a high degree  of accuracy.  A heart out of rhythm caused  fatigue and worry for volunteer fireman Thomas  Buehler. Since his AFib  ablation procedure, he says the anxiety and stress  he once felt are gone. About  15  million people  worldwide suffer a stroke each  year, and as many as one-third  die from it, according to the  World Health Organization.  Often, treatment or interven- tions to prevent stroke require  physicians to use special  devices to gain access to the  brain. Two companies on  which neuro-interventional- ists rely for such devices have  come together to create one of  the broadest portfolios and  one of the deepest pipelines in  the neurovascular industry.  In September  2010 ,  Johnson & Johnson acquired  Micrus Endovascular  Corporation, a global devel- oper and manufacturer of  minimally invasive devices for  hemorrhagic (caused by  bleeding) and ischemic  (caused by a blockage) stroke.  “There are significant unmet  needs in the treatment of  neurovascular disease,” says P. Laxmin Laxminarain,  Worldwide President, Codman  & Shurtleff. Micrus  Endovascular and Codman  Neurovascular develop innovative and complementary  products and technologies for  treating cerebral aneurysms,  which can lead to stroke. “Our  hope is that by bringing these  companies together,” says  Laxminarain, “we can fuel  rapid and meaningful innovation that further  improves therapeutic options  and access to care, and ultimately makes a difference in the treatment of this debilitating condition.” 19 JOHNSON & JOHNSON 2010 ANNUAL REPORT