NiTi Surgical Solutions' ColonRing used for the first time in a colorectal surgery in China

NiTi™ Surgical Solutions, an innovative surgical device company, today announced that its ColonRing™, the first major advance in closure for gastrointestinal surgery in more than 30 years, has been used for the first time in a colorectal surgery in China. The ColonRing anastomosis device was launched in the United States in May 2008 and has been successfully applied in thousands of patients.

Utilizing the ColonRing, Prof. Cai, Director of Colorectal Cancer Center at The Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Hospital in China performed a sigmoidectomy (anterior resection) on a 52-year old patient. A sigmoidectomy is the surgical removal of part or all of the sigmoid colon, usually to remove a malignant tumor. An X-ray performed on the third day following the procedure showed that ColonRing had remained in place. The ring was expelled ten days post-operation and the patient has successfully recovered.

Prof. Cai commented, “The ColonRing anastomosis device is a significant breakthrough in colorectal anastomosis. Surgical staples have been used for decades, with physicians believing that surgery complications such as leakage, bleeding and stricture were simply inevitable. Since ColonRing is expelled from the body following surgery, I believe this new device is an exciting advance in colorectal surgery, and has the potential to reduce the risk of these dangerous complications. I look forward to working with NiTi on future ColonRing research.”

NiTi Surgical Solutions' shape memory surgical rings, clips, and appliers represent the next generation in internal tissue-closure devices. These advanced devices are designed for treatment of colorectal, gastric and upper gastrointestinal disease requiring surgical anastomosis. The company`s unique line of products utilizes nitinol-based elements to press together the ends of resected tissue, enabling natural reconnection and healing of the intestine after removing a section as part of a surgery, such as in colon cancer treatment. In clinical practice, the technology has demonstrated durable anastomosis with encouraging results and fewer complications than traditional staples reported in the literature.

"We are pleased with the success and market penetration ColonRing has achieved since its launch last year, and working with surgeons in China is a vital initiative as we seek to expand the use of ColonRing globally,” said Itay Itzhaky, chief executive officer of NiTi Surgical Solutions. "We intend to follow up this first successful application of ColonRing with a full-scale launch in China. By establishing a national surgeon training center at Fudan University Cancer Hospital, one of the top three cancer centers in China, as well as training workshop centers throughout the country, we will expand the number of hospitals in China utilizing this breakthrough device.”