Leading surgical oncologist discussed results at abdominal wall reconstruction conference from first-of-its-kind study evaluating Cook Medical’s Biodesign technology
BLOOMINGTON, Ind.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dr. N. Joseph Espat M.D., M.S., FACS presented favorable results of biologic materials, specifically Cook Medical’s Biodesign™, for the treatment of abdominal wall wounds complicated from chemotherapy, at the Abdominal Wall Reconstruction Conference at the Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, D.C. Dr. Espat is professor of surgery at Boston University School of Medicine, and chief of surgical oncology and vice-chair of surgery at Roger Williams Medical Center. At the conference, Dr. Espat presented “Pilot assessment of the role of biomaterials as adjuvant to abdominal wall closure subsequent to hyperthermic chemotherapy” and “The role of biomaterials as adjuvant to abdominal wall closure in chemotherapy exposed patients.”
According to Dr. Espat’s research, Cook Medical’s Biodesign Hernia Graft is safe and effective in treating chemotherapy patients suffering from hernias for which synthetic mesh is not a viable option. Dr. Espat’s study shows that Biodesign is particularly effective at treating high-risk patients with preoperative abdominal wall morbidity, gastrointestinal perforation and those patients receiving hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy or cytoreductive surgical procedures. The graft also proved to reduce postoperative adhesions, reduce the risk of surgical site infection and eliminate enterotomies of fragile bowel after chemotherapy during subsequent surgeries in this study.
“Previous studies have shown that chemotherapy significantly impairs wound healing as a result of increased inflammation and weaker collagen at the wound site,” said Dr. Espat. “Multiple studies reported chemotherapy as a significant risk factor for surgical site infection and incisional hernia, a common occurrence following abdominal wall tumor removal. We are excited by these positive early results that demonstrate Biodesign’s ability to withstand aggressive chemotherapy treatments, and naturally reinforce weakened tissue at the wound site.”
The Biodesign Hernia Graft combines the best attributes of a biologic graft – resistance to infection and complete remodeling – with the added benefits of moderate price, ease of use and ample shelf life for on-site availability. Upon deployment, the graft reinforces the abdominal wall and, over time, communicates with the patient’s body, signaling surrounding tissue to grow across the scaffold where the abdominal wall needs to be repaired. Biodesign is resistant to infection, encapsulation and erosion into surrounding tissue.
The first annual Abdominal Wall Reconstruction (AWR) Conference was held June 25-27, 2009 and featured research and best practices from America's elite general, plastic, trauma and pediatric surgeons, wound care specialists and stoma nurses. Agenda topics included AWR hernia repair, complex trauma and abdominal wounds, neonatal AWR defects, the economics of AWR, biologic and synthetic materials, and abdominal wall infections.
About Cook Medical
Cook Medical was one of the first companies to help popularize interventional medicine, pioneering many of the devices now commonly used worldwide to perform minimally invasive medical procedures. Today, the company integrates minimally invasive medical device design, biopharma, gene and cell therapy, and biotech to enhance patient safety and improve clinical outcomes in the fields of aortic intervention; interventional cardiology; critical care medicine; gastroenterology; radiology, peripheral vascular, bone access and oncology; surgery and soft tissue repair; urology; and assisted reproductive technology, gynecology and high-risk obstetrics. Founded in 1963 and operated as a family-held private corporation, Cook is a past winner of the prestigious Medical Device Manufacturer of the Year Award from Medical Device & Diagnostic Industry magazine. For more information, visit www.cookmedical.com.
Contacts
Cook Medical
Dave McCarty, 812-322-1805
Global Public Relations Director
Dave.McCarty@CookMedical.com
or
Racepoint Group
Jackie Hanley, 781-487-4625
jhanley@racepointgroup.com
