SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Covidien (NYSE: COV), a leading global provider of healthcare products, today announced the launch of the first non-absorbable, uni-directional barbed suture, part of its family of V-Loc™ wound closure devices.
The V-Loc PBT (Polybutester) non-absorbable wound closure device allows surgeons to securely close incisions without the need to tie knots. Non-absorbable sutures are used to permanently close internal and external wounds. The V-Loc PBT joins the V-Loc 90 and V-Loc 180 absorbable wound closure devices currently available to healthcare professionals.
All three V-Loc wound closure devices are on display at Covidien’s booth (#1329) at the American College of Surgeons’ 97th Annual Clinical Congress taking place here at the Moscone Convention Center until Oct. 27.
“The V-Loc PBT device allows for accurate oversewing of all staple lines, in both bariatric and general surgery cases,” said David Kim, MD, FACS, FASMBS, Forest Park Medical Center, Dallas. “I use it in all of my gastric sleeve and gastric bypass cases when I need another tissue layer of security. It passes smoothly through tissue like a polypropylene suture with a desirable degree of approximation that’s uniform throughout the suture line.”
The V-Loc 180 device, launched in October 2009, was the first surgical device of its kind to feature uni-directional barbed suture technology. The device's unique and proprietary self-anchoring loop and barb combination enables surgeons to close wounds quickly and securely without tying knots or changing standard closure techniques.1
Since the introduction of V-Loc device technology, surgeons have adopted the product in a wide variety of procedures for secure, fast and effective wound closure. Testing and research indicate that the use of the absorbable V-Loc device technology can decrease the time needed to close surgical incisions by up to 50%, when compared to standard suturing techniques.2
“With this new addition to our knotless suture portfolio, surgeons have an even broader array of choices for closing surgical incisions safely, quickly and effectively,” said Peter Schommer, Vice President, Global Product Marketing, Wound Closure, Covidien. “We are committed to consistently developing innovative devices to improve patient outcomes, as well as surgeons’ experiences while they operate.”
Surgical Products magazine recently named the V-Loc 90 and V-Loc 180 wound closure devices as the winners in the Wound Closure & Healing category of its Excellence in Surgical Products Award for 2011. Winners were chosen by the magazine’s readers, who reviewed hundreds of submissions of innovative products across a broad range of categories. The award will be featured in the November/December issue.
The V-Loc PBT non-absorbable wound closure device has been cleared for one-time use by the United States Food and Drug Administration and is currently available in the U.S.
ABOUT COVIDIEN
Covidien is a leading global healthcare products company that creates innovative medical solutions for better patient outcomes and delivers value through clinical leadership and excellence. Covidien manufactures, distributes and services a diverse range of industry-leading product lines in three segments: Medical Devices, Pharmaceuticals and Medical Supplies. With 2010 revenue of $10.4 billion, Covidien has 41,000 employees worldwide in more than 65 countries, and its products are sold in over 140 countries. Please visit http://www.covidien.com to learn more about our business.
1 Single layer closure with V-Loc™ 180 device compared to double layer closure using standard suture methods. Covidien V-Loc™ 180 Absorbable Wound Closure Device Time Study. Robert T. Grant, MD, MSc, FACS New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Argent Global Services. Data on File.
2 Utilization of a Porcine Model to Demonstrate the Efficacy of an Absorbable Barbed Suture for Dermal Closure, UTSW, S. Brown. Data on file.
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