ArtAssist Device From ACI Medical Prevents Amputations Caused by Diabetes and Other Related Diseases of the Arteries.Business Editors/Health & Medical Writers SAN MARCOS, Calif.--(BW HealthWire)--May 29, 2002 New Home Therapy Increases Blood Flow, Resulting in 50 Percent Fewer Amputations and Significant Cost Savings for Healthcare Industry ACI ACI American Concrete Institute ACI Arch Coal Inc ACI Airports Council International (formerly Airport Associations Coordinating Council) ACI Automobile Club d'Italia ACI American Competitiveness Initiative Medical, a company that combines solid engineering with current medical research, today announced that its ArtAssist(R) medical device is helping prevent amputations caused by diabetes and other diseases of the arteries. Using specially designed compression limb cuffs to increase blood flow to the lower limbs, the ArtAssist device reduces the need for amputation amputation (ăm'pyətā`shən), removal of all or part of a limb or other body part. Although amputation has been practiced for centuries, the development of sophisticated techniques for treatment and prevention of infection has greatly by more than 50 percent in properly selected patients and provides significant cost savings for the healthcare industry. Diabetes is the most frequent cause of non-traumatic lower limb amputation, with more than 92,000 amputations performed each year, according to the American Diabetes Association The American Diabetes Association, or the ADA, is an American health organization providing diabetes research, information and advocacy. Founded in 1940, the American Diabetes Association conducts programs in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, reaching hundreds of . Diabetic foot diabetic foot A foot with a constellation of pathologic changes affecting the lower extremity in diabetics, often leading to amputation and/or death due to complications; the common initial lesion leading to amputation is a nonhealing skin ulcer, induced by ulcers, suffered by more than two million diabetics annually, commonly result from reduced blood flow and can lead to amputation. Direct costs of a major amputation are estimated to be between $20,000 and $60,000. In contrast, the ArtAssist device can help people avoid the prospect of disabling amputation and only rents for $1,200 for a 3-month course of therapy. "In our clinical study, the ArtAssist device significantly increased blood flow and saved limbs in 70 percent of the patients studied," said Dr. Paul S. van Bemmelen, vascular surgeon at Stony Brook University Hospital Stony Brook University Hospital is a hospital in Stony Brook, New York. A part of the State University of New York at Stony Brook, it is one of the largest hospitals on Long Island. , New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of . "We must get the word out now to help prevent amputation in as many people as possible." By increasing blood flow, the ArtAssist device also relieves symptoms of peripheral arterial disease, also known as "hardening of the arteries hardening of the arteries: see arteriosclerosis. ," which affects more than four million Americans each year, the majority of whom are over the age of 55. Symptoms, called intermittent claudication Intermittent Claudication Definition Intermittent claudicationis a pain in the leg that a person experiences when walking or exercising. The pain is intermittent and goes away when the person rests. , include pain, cramps or a tired-feeling in the calf or thigh, triggered by walking and relieved by rest. This prevents the ability to walk and greatly reduces the quality of life. Clinical studies have shown that the ArtAssist device triples blood flow and dramatically increases pain-free walking distance. The ArtAssist device applies a massage-like compression to enhance blood flow and simulates the beneficial effect of brisk walking, without pain or tissue trauma. Patients simply turn the device on after applying the specially designed limb cuffs. The standard therapy calls for patients to use the ArtAssist device for three hours a day in one-hour segments and beneficial results appear within days to weeks, with more permanent results achieved in three to five months. Poor blood flow from diabetes had already cost Frank Berhalter of Long Island his right leg. But by using the ArtAssist device to improve his circulation, Berhalter has been able to keep his other leg and enjoy an independent lifestyle. "I started using the ArtAssist device for a diabetic foot ulcer that was not healing," said Berhalter. "This was the same symptom that led to the amputation of my right leg and so I was very concerned. The ArtAssist device was simple to use and after three months, my ulcer was completely healed. I credit ArtAssist for saving my leg." Currently not covered not covered Health care adjective Referring to a procedure, test or other health service to which a policy holder or insurance beneficiary is not entitled under the terms of the policy or payment system–eg, Medicare. Cf Covered. by Medicare/Medicaid, ACI Medical is in the process of obtaining an individual Medicare/Medicaid code for the ArtAssist device. Many private insurance carriers cover the device as Durable Medical Equipment Durable medical equipment is a term of art used to describe certain Medicare benefits, that is, whether Medicare may pay for the item. The item is defined by Title XVIII the Social Security Act: "We originally developed this technology to assist in imaging vessels in the foot," said Ed Arkans, president of ACI Medical. "After testing the device in a hospital setting, we were surprised to see a large increase in arterial blood arterial blood n. Blood that is oxygenated in the lungs, is found in the left chambers of the heart and in the arteries, and is relatively bright red. flow and the immediate alleviation of pain in a patient with severe arterial disease. We then decided to develop a product based on this technology to hopefully save patients the trauma of amputation." About ACI Medical Headquartered in San Marcos, ACI Medical designs and manufactures products for vascular disease. More than 25 clinical studies by vascular surgeons at university-based hospitals have been published or presented at medical conferences, and confirm that use of the ArtAssist device has significant effect on improving blood flow in patients unable to undergo surgery and has the potential to reduce the need for amputation by more than 50 percent. Abstracts and further information are available on the ACI Medical Web site at www.acimedical.com or by calling 888/4 LEG FLO See MediaFLO. (888/453-4356). |
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