American Medical Systems® (AMS) (Nasdaq: AMMD), a leading provider of world-class devices and therapies for male and female pelvic health, today announced that eight GreenLight HPS® laser consoles have been acquired for public hospitals in the Australian states of Victoria and Queensland. The laser technology will treat patients with Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH), a non cancerous enlargement of the prostate experienced by 50 percent of men over 60. The acquisitions follow the successful introduction of the GreenLight™ laser into a Victorian public hospital in 2008 and were made possible through funding initiatives from the Commonwealth of Australia, the Victorian Department of Health and Queensland Health.
GreenLight combines the effectiveness of the traditional invasive surgical procedure, Transurethral Resection of the Prostate (TURP), with fewer side effects, offering shorter hospital stays and a return to normal, non-strenuous activities within days.
"These acquisitions demonstrate the confidence that the Australian public health systems have for advanced BPH treatment technology like the GreenLight laser," said Mike Ryan, vice president and general manager, Asia Pacific, Latin America and Canada for AMS. "An increasing number of men in Australia will gain access to this cutting-edge technology to treat their prostate health issues, resulting in a better all-around quality of life."
The Victorian Department of Health will be installing the GreenLight laser consoles into Casey Hospital and Monash Medical Centre, Moorabbin. The Australian Government has placed lasers at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, The Geelong Hospital and St. Vincent's Public Hospital, Melbourne. Queensland Health will place their units at Queen Elizabeth II, Nambour and Townsville Hospitals. The GreenLight laser procedure will become available to the public as the lasers are installed.
The greatest benefit to men treated with the GreenLight laser is freedom from the obstructive urinary symptoms that accompany BPH. The GreenLight laser procedure has been proven safe and effective in clinical studies conducted at many leading medical institutions around the world. To date, nearly 500,000 patients have been treated worldwide.
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