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by Chip Hennen Redwood City, CA (September 9, 2008) — EndoGastric Solutions (EGS), the recognized leader in the emerging field of Natural Orifice Surgery (NOS), today announced that University of California Irvine (UCI) Medical Center of Orange, CA; Memorial Hermann Hospital of Houston, TX; Lenox Hill Hospital, New York, NY, and CentraState Medical Center of Freehold, NJ, performed their first TIF® (Transoral Incisionless Fundoplication) surgical procedures for the treatment of GERD using EGS’ innovative EsophyX® device. These four medical centers join a growing list of centers now performing the EsophyX TIF procedure throughout the continental U.S. The EsophyX TIF surgical procedure reconstructs the antireflux barrier and restores the competency of the gastroesophageal junction, resulting in the effective elimination of GERD. TIF is the first procedure that provides an incisionless anatomical solution to a disease that today is typically treated with proton pump inhibitors (PPIs). Research shows that of the approximately 30 million Americans diagnosed with chronic GERD and dependent on daily medications, 20-40% are not satisfied with PPIs. UCI, Irvine, CA, August 27 procedure performed by Kevin Reavis, M.D. and Kenneth Chang, M.D.: Dr. Ninh Nguyen, Chief of Gastrointestinal Surgery for UCI, commented, “UCI is the first center in Southern California to perform transoral incisionless fundoplication for the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease. The main benefits of this incisionless approach include less postoperative pain and faster recovery, and the clinical results are comparable to more invasive techniques like the Nissen procedure. TIF also doesn’t alter the patient’s future surgical options. The market needs more than the Nissen procedure, and as its role continues to decrease, the TIF procedure fills the void, providing a much more patient friendly yet effective treatment. We are very excited about this new innovation in natural orifice surgery as we enter a new era of minimally invasive surgery.” Memorial Hermann Hospital, Houston, TX, August 19 procedure performed by Erik Wilson, M.D.: “TIF fills a large unmet need for a low risk, reliable anatomical solution for GERD,” said Dr. Erik Wilson of Memorial Hermann Hospital. “GERD is a progressive disease and only an anatomical solution can stop both the symptoms and the progression. TIF offers both exceptional clinical results and a patient-friendly procedure.” Lenox Hill Hospital, New York, NY, August 27 procedure performed by Gregory Haber, M.D. and Anthony Starpoli, M.D.: Dr. Gregory Haber and Dr. Anthony Starpoli together completed their first two EsophyX TIF procedure cases in late August at Lenox Hill Hospital of New York, NY. Dr. Haber, who has used all the prior endoluminal therapeutic surgical tools and has performed over 200 endoluminal procedures, said, “TIF is completely different from previous techniques. For the first time, it allows us to operate on the gastroesophageal junction transorally under endoscopic guidance to reconstruct both parts of the antireflux barrier, to tighten the LES and rebuild a GE valve, like our colleagues do with conventional GERD surgery. Our patients are pleased to have this minutely invasive procedure as an alternative to lifelong drug therapy and we are pleased that so many can benefit from this approach.” CentraState Medical Center, Freehold, New Jersey, August 19 procedure performed by Morris Washington, M.D. and Ragui Sadek, M.D.: Dr. Morris Washington, a general surgeon and recognized leader in the GI community who has performed over 13,000 endoscopies, commented, “Surgeons with an active antireflux practice need to add a more patient-friendly antireflux surgery to the treatment options they offer their patients. Patients with severe GERD are increasingly postponing Lap Nissen procedures because of the severity of the surgery. The EsophyX TIF procedure is the perfect alternative. It’s the next step in the evolution of minimally invasive surgery for treating GI conditions like GERD. The surgeon of tomorrow will need to offer both laparoscopic procedures as well as the new advanced endoscopically-guided natural orifice surgical procedures. The era of the NOS surgeon has arrived,” he added, “and EsophyX TIF is leading the way.” “The EsophyX TIF procedure is gaining significant acceptance and support in the U.S. marketplace,” said Thierry Thaure, President and Chief Executive Officer of EndoGastric Solutions. “Our training programs are full and we expect more new EsophyX TIF sites to launch their NOS programs in September.”
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