The announcement was made today at the 19th World Congress of International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity & Metabolic Disorders (IFSO 2014), where Ethicon is featuring the new ECHELON FLEX GST System and a new 45cm ENSEAL G2 Articulating Tissue Sealer alongside the HARMONIC ACE +7 Shears with Advanced Hemostasis, the first purely ultrasonic device with a 7 mm vessel sealing indication.
"Ethicon, as part of the largest healthcare company in the world, is committed to leading the way to address the burden of obesity for patients and healthcare systems. Our science-based portfolio for obesity and metabolic diseases is among the most comprehensive in the industry, and we continue to bring forward innovations that fill clinical needs and advance patient care," said Michael del Prado, Ethicon Group Chairman.
Ethicon is also launching the "Evidence Corner" at IFSO 2014 (Booth 501) to drive greater industry focus on the global health and economic challenges of obesity and metabolic diseases.
The ECHELON FLEX GST System, which includes the ECHELON FLEX Powered Plus Stapler and the ENDOPATH ECHELON Reloads with Gripping Surface Technology (GST), is designed to address these clinical issues through its unique design for better grip that provides less tissue slippage. In testing, the ECHELON FLEX GST System resulted in 4-times less tissue slippage during firing compared to Covidien’s ENDO GIA Reloads with TriStaple technology, which may eliminate one reload per procedure.
The 45cm length of the ENSEAL G2 Articulating Tissue Sealer for bariatric surgery is set to launch globally later in 2014. This advanced bipolar energy device is the only such device designed to enable a perpendicular approach to cutting and sealing vessels up to seven millimeters in diameter, and lymphatics, through a 5mm port. Vessels sealed with a perpendicular approach are more than 28% stronger than vessels sealed at a 45 degree angle.
The HARMONIC ACE +7, available in 36cm and 45cm for bariatric surgery, is the only purely ultrasonic energy device with a 7mm vessel sealing indication. The device has greater 5mm to 7mm vessel-sealing reliability than Covidien’s LigaSure™ devices when in the Advanced Hemostasis Mode.
