Phoenix Children’s Hospital Surgeons Use Breakthrough Surgical Tool for the First Time in Liver Surgery
PHOENIX, Ariz. (February, 2012) – Pediatric surgeon Juan Acosta, M.D. and liver transplant surgeon Winston Hewitt, M.D., performed the first human liver surgery using Domain Surgical’s FMwand (TM) for the removal of a tumor in the liver of 19-month-old Gabriel Provencio, a patient at Phoenix Children’s Hospital.
“I am pleased to have had a part in this first surgery using such an innovative surgical tool as the FMwand,” said Dr. Acosta.
“Liver transections are challenging,” said Dr Hewitt. “A device is needed that is reliable, safe and consistent. The FMwand allowed us to confidently separate the liver tissue with minimal tissue distortion and minimal thermal damage. The speed of the device was also impressive. I look forward to utilizing the FMwand in future liver resections as well as other complex procedures.”
Kim Manwaring, M.D., a prominent Phoenix pediatric neurosurgeon, conceived the product concept in his garage laboratory at his home in Phoenix. He is a board-certified pediatric neurosurgeon, and founding Chief of Neurological Surgery at Phoenix Children’s Hospital.
“After years of operating on children, I would come home and start experimenting because I was convinced there must be a better technology.” said Dr. Manwaring. “Children have very different needs and challenges in surgery. They don’t have much blood volume to begin with, and that’s what made this child’s surgery so significant.”
“The liver is a vital organ and it has a wide range of functions,” Dr. Manwwaring continued. “It is the largest internal organ in humans and it is highly vascularized, meaning that it contains many blood vessels. It is extremely challenging for surgeons to control bleeding when performing surgery in the liver. The precisely controlled thermal effect of the FMwand is ideally suited for the liver.”
Engineers at Domain Surgical took Dr. Manwaring’s basic concept and developed the FMwandTM system to create this significant breakthrough in surgical technology. The computer-controlled generator and handpiece deliver electrical energy to a unique tip coated with a thin plating of metal alloy that allows the surgeon to precisely cut and seal tissue simultaneously, on command. Commonly used electrosurgical devices that pass electricity through the patient often cause injury to surrounding tissues and organs.
“We are grateful to Gabriel’s parents, and Dr. Hewitt and Dr. Acosta of Phoenix Children’s Hospital, for their confidence in our product.” said David McNally, President and CEO of Domain Surgical. “The successful outcome of this first-ever FMwand TM liver surgery is an inspiration to the entire Domain Surgical team, who has worked relentlessly for more than two years to turn Dr. Manwaring’s concept into a product that can improve outcomes for many patients.”
About Phoenix Children’s Hospital
Phoenix Children’s Hospital, ranked in U.S. News & World Report’s Best Children’s Hospitals, is Arizona’s only licensed children’s hospital, providing world-class care in more than 40 pediatric specialties to children from throughout the state and region. Phoenix Children’s is in the midst of a major expansion to meet the needs of the Southwest’s rapid population growth. The signature element of the expansion is a new 11-story, 750,000-square-foot tower which will enable the hospital to grow from 426 licensed beds today to a total of 626 licensed beds once the project is complete. The hospital’s expansion also includes an aggressive physician recruitment effort and new satellite centers in high growth areas of the Valley. For more information, visit the hospital’s web site at www.phoenixchildrens.com.
About Domain Surgical, Inc.
Domain Surgical is a privately-held company based in Salt Lake City, Utah. The company is commercializing a product line of capital equipment and single-patient-use disposable devices designed to address the known shortcomings of leading energy-based surgical equipment. Domain Surgical's patent-pending technology produces surface-only tissue effects without passing electrical energy through the patient, and is designed with simple user interface for ease of use by the surgical staff. For more information, please visit www.domainsurgical.com.
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Jane Walton
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