Gore Announces Bioabsorbable Staple Line Reinforcement for Open Staplers.

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. -- W. L. Gore & Associates Inc. (Gore) has introduced GORE SEAMGUARD(R) Bioabsorbable Staple Line Reinforcement configured for open surgical staplers. The first synthetic, bioabsorbable material of its kind, GORE SEAMGUARD(R) Bioabsorbable Staple Line Reinforcement is specifically engineered to reduce the incidence of perioperative leaks and bleeding in a variety of open and minimally invasive surgeries.

GORE SEAMGUARD(R) Bioabsorbable Staple Line Reinforcement configured for open surgical staplers is composed of a copolymer glycolide (PGA) and trimethylene carbonate (TMC) microporous structure with an extensive history of safety in sutures, surgical meshes and implantable devices.

Thinner and more flexible than other reinforcement materials, GORE SEAMGUARD(R) Bioabsorbable Staple Line Reinforcement retains measurable strength for four to five weeks and is completely absorbed within six months -- eliminating the risk of erosion into adjacent tissue.

Since GORE SEAMGUARD(R) Bioabsorbable Staple Line Reinforcement is entirely synthetic, it does not carry the risk of animal-source contamination. As a bioabsorbable membrane, there is less risk of long-term complications associated with permanent materials, such as migration, erosion, calcification and nidus for infection.

According to Jason Field, DVM, a Gore product specialist, GORE SEAMGUARD(R) Bioabsorbable Staple Line Reinforcement is now configured for open surgical procedures where soft tissue transection or resection with staple line reinforcement is needed. "With this innovative material, surgeons performing soft tissue surgeries can realize the same benefits using open staplers as they did with endoscopic staplers," said Field. "GORE SEAMGUARD(R) Bioabsorbable Staple Line Reinforcement has proven to be a safe, effective solution for reinforcing staple lines during colorectal, pulmonary, gastrointestinal and bariatric procedures."

In the article "Safety and Efficacy of the Use of Bioabsorbable SEAMGUARD(R) in Colorectal Surgery at the Texas Endosurgery Institute" (February 2005, Surgical Laparoscopy, Endoscopy & Percutaneous Techniques), Dr. Morris E. Franklin Jr., MD, FACS, and his co-authors reported on the results of a pilot study of 30 patients who underwent colon resection with placement of GORE SEAMGUARD(R) Bioabsorbable Staple Line Reinforcement. The study indicated the material is a viable alternative to lessen one of the most devastating problems in colon surgery, the leak rate. According to the article, "... BSG (Bioabsorbable SEAMGUARD(R)) appears to possess the clinical importance of potentially diminishing the clinically apparent leak rate, avoiding staple line bleeding, and giving a satisfactory anastomosis."

GORE SEAMGUARD(R) Bioabsorbable Staple Line Reinforcement is configured for quick and easy loading onto the jaws of staplers, and stays in place during insertion through trocars and during tissue manipulation. As the thinnest staple line reinforcement product available, it permits a wide range of tissue thicknesses to be stapled.

About W. L. Gore & Associates

The Gore Medical Products Division has provided creative therapeutic solutions to complex medical problems for three decades. During that time, more than 13 million innovative Gore Medical Devices have been implanted, saving and improving the quality of lives worldwide. The extensive Gore Medical family of products includes vascular grafts, endovascular and interventional devices, surgical meshes for hernia repair and sutures for use in vascular, cardiac, general surgery, and orthopedic procedures. Gore was recently named the fifth best company to work for by Fortune Magazine.

GORE, SEAMGUARD(R), and designs are trademarks of W. L. Gore & Associates.

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