PLAINSBORO, N.J., April 11, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Integra LifeSciences Holdings Corporation (Nasdaq:IART) announced that neurosurgeons at the University of Kansas Hospital and the Kansas University Medical Center (KU Med) have begun utilizing the Integra Radionics OmniSight(R) EXcel image-guided system and CRW(R) stereotactic instrumentation for movement disorder surgeries. KU Med's Movement Disorder Center is one of the premier programs in the country and the OmniSight(R) Excel system, coupled with the CRW(R) system, will offer patients enhanced surgical precision and accuracy.
"Patients with severe movement disorders may be candidates for Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS), and a successful patient outcome is vitally dependent on accurate placement of the stimulating electrode in the brain," said Jules Nazzaro M.D., Associate Professor of Neurosurgery and Neurology, KUMC and Attending in Neurosurgery, KUH. "I'm very pleased that the University of Kansas Hospital has invested in Integra's devices. The hospital and the medical center continue their commitment to a world-renowned movement disorders surgical program at KU Med. When successful, DBS surgery can transform patients' lives, allowing them to resume many of their normal activities and reducing their need for anti-tremor medication."
Worldwide prevalence of movement disorders is estimated at over four million people, and demand is increasing for effective therapies to delay disease progression and improve patient's lives. When medication is ineffective, severe movement disorders may respond to DBS, which places precisely located implantable electrodes within the brain to deliver electrical impulses to counteract the tremors. The electrodes are connected to a neurostimulator, or "pacemaker," which is implanted under the patient's collarbone. The worldwide movement disorders therapeutics market is currently estimated at over $2 billion and is expected to reach approximately $4 billion by 2009.
The surgery to place the electrode in the brain involves high definition diagnostic images of each patient, usually through the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) scans. These images are then transferred to the OmniSight(R) EXcel image-guided surgery system for pre-surgical planning, which produces exact coordinates of the target for the CRW(R) stereotactic system. The CRW(R) system is a medical device which allows for very precise targeting and placement of the electrode within the brain. The CRW(R) platform has been used in over 250,000 procedures worldwide for the precise placement of biopsy needles and surgical electrodes in the brain.
Integra LifeSciences Holdings Corporation, a world leader in regenerative medicine, is dedicated to improving the quality of life for patients through the development, manufacturing, and marketing of cost-effective surgical implants and medical instruments. Our products, used primarily in neurosurgery, extremity reconstruction, orthopedics and general surgery, are used to treat millions of patients every year. Integra's headquarters are in Plainsboro, New Jersey, and we have research and manufacturing facilities throughout the world. Please visit our website at (http://www.Integra-LS.com).
This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements concerning the use of the OmniSight(R) EXcel image-guided system and the CRW(R) stereotactic system. Such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from predicted or expected results. Among other things, the willingness of physicians to use the products may affect the prospects for their use in clinical procedures. In addition, the economic, competitive, governmental, technological and other factors, identified in the Risk Factors section of Integra's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006, and information contained in subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, could affect actual results.