NEWS
October 14, 2009 - By Brian Johnson - Mass Device
The CEO of Mederi Therapeutics on the challenges of increasing awareness of bowel incontinence and his company's minimally invasive alternative to colostomy surgery.
http://www.massdevice.com/features/massdevice-qa-william-rutan
September 9, 2009 - HospiMedica International
Effective Minimally-Invasive Option for Treating Bowel Incontinence
http://www.hospimedica.com/?option=com_article&Itemid=294725339&cat=Surgical%20Techniques
August 28, 2009
Southern Regional Health System First in Georgia to Offer
Outpatient Treatment for Bowel Incontinence
https://www.southernregional.org/about-us/news-media/2009/srmc-first-to-offer-secca-procedure.aspx
August 31, 2009
Secca Therapy - An Effective and Minimally Invasive Option for Treating Bowel Incontinence - Launched in the US
Greenwich, CT – August 31, 2009 - Mederi Therapeutics Inc. announces the US release of the Secca system for treatment of bowel incontinence. Secca Therapy is a minimally invasive procedure for a debilitating and embarrassing condition that affects tens of millions of Americans, both young and old. Secca therapy delivers radiofrequency (RF) energy to the muscles of the anal canal – tightening the muscles, producing better bowel control and reducing the symptoms of incontinence.
“This innovative treatment bridges the gap between often unsuccessful conservative measures, such as diet modification and biofeedback, and expensive and disfiguring surgical treatment,” said Mederi CEO, Will Rutan. “The effect of bowel incontinence on quality of life is devastating, so the overwhelmingly positive response to the release of the Secca system is not surprising.”
Secca therapy is an outpatient procedure that takes approximately 45 minutes, and is performed in an endoscopy suite or ambulatory surgery unit, with the patient under general anesthesia or conscious sedation. Patients go home approximately one to two hours after the procedure and, typically, resume normal activities within several days. In clinical trials as many as 8 out of 10 patients had a positive clinical response to Secca therapy and showed significant improvement in quality of life scores. Further, recent clinical studies have shown symptom relief lasting as long as five years.
The dominant cause of bowel incontinence is damage to the pelvic floor during normal childbirth, thus, a significant majority of sufferers are women, seventy percent of whom are under the age of 65. In the elderly, bowel incontinence is cited as the second leading reason to institutionalize loved ones, and over 45 percent of residents in nursing homes suffer from this condition.
Due to the embarrassment associated with bowel incontinence, studies report that fewer than one in five people with this condition have discussed it with their doctors. These factors indicate that bowel incontinence is both a well-guarded and under-reported illness.
Additional information is available at www.mederitherapeutics.com or www.secca-therapy.com.
ABOUT MEDERI
Mederi Therapeutics manufactures and markets innovative medical devices that deliver radiofrequency energy to treat disease states affecting the human digestive system. All Mederi therapies are outpatient, minimally invasive, and promote rapid recovery. Mederi Therapeutics is located in Greenwich, Connecticut.
Contact: Sheila Doyle
Manager of Communications and Marketing
203 930 9980