LANGHORNE, Pa., July 18, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Power Medical Interventions(r), Inc. (Nasdaq:PMII), a leader in developing and commercializing Intelligent Surgical Instruments(tm), announced today that a team of doctors used the Company's i-NOLC45 natural orifice linear stapler to successfully demonstrate a surgical technique that allows for small bowel resection and anastomosis without abdominal incisions. The live demonstration took place in San Francisco on July 12, 2008, at the Natural Orifice Surgery Consortium for Assessment and Research's (NOSCAR) 3rd International Conference on Natural Orifice Translumenal Endoscopic Surgery(tm) (NOTES(tm)).
Tonia Young-Fadok, M.D., Colon & Rectal Surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Nathaniel Soper, M.D., Chief of GI/Endocrine Surgery at Northwestern University Memorial Hospital, and Richard Rothstein, M.D., Chief of Gastroenterolgy at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, worked together to remove a portion of a small bowel through an opening in the colon, avoiding any incisions on the abdomen. After the team removed the small bowel, they proceeded to successfully reconnect the small bowel (anastomosis) using Power Medical's i-NOLC45 natural orifice linear stapler in front of an audience of 300 surgeons, gastroenterologists, and industry professionals.
Michael Whitman, President and Chief Executive Officer, commented, "The successful procedure conducted by these leading surgeons further supports the versatility and precision of the Intelligent Surgical Product Line. We will continue to work to provide surgeons with a broad range of innovative tools to improve upon and expand minimally invasive surgical procedures."
NOTES is a new minimally invasive surgical approach that involves passing surgical instruments through one of the body's natural orifices, such as the mouth, vagina or rectum, to remove a diseased organ or tissue. Operating solely through the body's natural orifices eliminates external incisions and scarring, and reduces recovery time, physical discomfort, and healthcare costs when compared to traditional and laparoscopic surgeries.
Power Medical's Intelligent Surgical Instruments are computer-assisted, power-actuated endomechanical instruments that surgeons use for cutting, stapling and tissue manipulation in a variety of procedures in open surgery and minimally invasive surgery. The Company believes that compared to conventional endomechanical devices, its Intelligent Surgical Instruments offer greater precision and consistency, superior compressive force, improved access to anatomical sites and enhanced ease of use. PMI's Intelligent Surgical Instruments have been used in over 30,000 surgical procedures worldwide.
About Power Medical Interventions, Inc.:
Power Medical Interventions(r), Inc. is the world's only provider of computer-assisted, power-actuated surgical stapling products. PMI's Intelligent Surgical Instruments(tm) enable less invasive surgical techniques to benefit surgeons, patients, hospitals and healthcare networks. PMI manufactures durable recyclable technology to reduce medical waste and help keep the planet clean. The company was founded in 1999, and is headquartered in Langhorne, PA with additional offices in Germany, France, and Japan. To learn more about Power Medical Interventions, Inc. and its products, please visit www.pmi2.com.
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Statements included in this press release, which are not historical in nature, are forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements relating to the future financial performance of the Company are subject to many factors including, but not limited to, the customer acceptance of the products in the market, the introduction of competitive products and product development, commercialization and technological difficulties, and other risks detailed in the Company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2007 and its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the three months ended March 31, 2008.
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