Inventors: Dr. Eviatar Nesher Dr. Mooly Segal
Over 6 million people in the US go through major surgeries such as abdominal (laparotomy), orthopedic, and cesarean sections every year. In Europe the figures are similar and in China the number far exceeds 10 million procedures a year. Fascia closure is an integral part of these surgeries. It is one of the few operating room procedures still performed by two surgeons, via the traditional, time-consuming needle and suture technique. It is associated with Incisional Hernia and Needle Stick Injuries. Incisional Hernia – is a complication caused by an incompletely-healed surgical wound, and happens in 10–15% of abdominal surgeries. Repair of Incisional Hernias is expensive (3.2B$ annual cost in the US) with 19-62% failure rate. Needle Stick injuries – have the potential to expose health care personnel to blood-borne viruses such as Hepatitis B, C and HIV. Of the estimated 400,000 needlestick injuries occurring in US hospitals each year, 59% occur during fascia closure. It is estimated that 40%-70% of needlestick injuries are not reported due to the cost and the 6 months suspension from OR associated with the violation.
Technology: The Epic MD Fascia Stapler is a dispensable cost effective device that uses proprietary technology to anchor Individual sutures. The device improves clinical results of fascia closure procedure, eliminates the needle stick injuries, and the need for an extra surgeon, saves OR time by shortening fascia closure time, and is an easy to learn – “Plug & Play” solution