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Cook Medical will introduce European head and neck surgeons and otolaryngologists to its line of minimally invasive devices at the 2nd meeting of the European Academy of OtoRhinoLaryngology and Head Neck/Surgery (EAORL-HNS).
Cook’s Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery (OHNS) division will focus initially on six ear, nose and throat (ENT) practice areas. These areas are obstructive salivary gland disease, soft tissue repair, chronic rhinosinusitis, vocal cord paralysis, obstructive sleep apnoea and interventional airway and oesophageal procedures.
Said Thomas Cherry, global leader for Cook Medical’s OHNS division, “There are more than 25,000 ENT specialists in Europe.[1] Our goal is to help show them the value of minimally invasive procedures and train them on how Cook’s devices can help patients. We are committed to serving European otolaryngologists and surgeons and their patients by helping to reduce the need for open surgery.”
Cook’s salivary duct access products include minimally invasive sialendoscopy tools. These include a soft-tip wire guide, Salivary Access Dilator Set, the Kolenda Salivary Access Introducer Set, and the NGage® Salivary Stone Extractor and NCircle® Salivary Stone Extractor.
Conference attendees will also see Cook’s Hercules® 3 Stage Esophageal Balloon designed to treat abnormal narrowing of the digestive tract. Additionally, Cook OHNS will launch the Chiba EchoTip® Biopsy Needle, a high-visibility needle that can be seen under ultrasound and is intended for use during thyroid gland biopsy.
Drawing on Cook’s long history of developing tissue-based acellular grafts, Cook OHNS will introduce the Biodesign® Dural Graft. This scaffold is intended to reduce the risk of cerebral spinal fluid leaks following cranial procedures. Biodesign grafts help the body to remodel native tissues using the patient’s own cells. The same technology is used in the Biodesign® ENT Surgical Reinforcement Graft, which is intended for implantation to reinforce soft tissue.
One EU surgeon has already used Cook’s Biodesign ENT Surgical Reinforcement Graft in his tympanoplasty procedures to repair punctured eardrums. Dr. Riccardo D’Eredità, Associate Director in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, at the Vicenza Civil Hospital in Italy will present an e-poster at the conference on his use of the graft, which is indicated for this use in the EU.
He says, “Closing tympanic punctures can be difficult to treat. My initial experiences with Cook’s Biodesign ENT Surgical Reinforcement Graft have been positive and indicate that it could eliminate the need to harvest autologous tissue to repair these defects.”
Canadian head and neck surgeon Dr. Jack Kolenda will also present on percutaneous sialendoscopy using the new salivary duct access kit he developed with Cook. The new minimally invasive procedure allows physicians to treat blockages and remove stones from the salivary glands without performing open surgery, which carries a risk of facial paralysis.
“This expansion shows our commitment to European ENT patients facing difficult treatment choices,” adds Pete Yonkman, executive vice president of strategic business units for Cook Medical. “Cook OHNS is bringing critical new products to market and training doctors in the procedures they’re used for. We hope to help more patients and touch more clinicians with this technology.”
Cook now has ten active clinical divisions in Europe: OHNS; Aortic Intervention; Critical Care; Endoscopy; Interventional Radiology; Lead Management; Peripheral Intervention; Surgery; Urology and Women’s Health.
