Device Solution To Aid In The Prevention Of Suture Needlestick Injuries

Patented Device Provides Greater Safety, Speed, and Ease-of-Use in Fascia Closure While Protecting Health Care Staff from Life-Threatening Blood-borne Diseases

San Francisco - SuturTek Incorporated, a privately held medical device company specializing in safe-suturing devices, announced the commercial availability of the SuturTek 360º Fascia Closure Device. The first and only suturing device that protects against suture needlestick injuries, the 360º Fascia Closure Device has been cleared by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) with the unique safety claim that the device "is designed to aid in the prevention of suture needlestick injuries."

According to the American College of Surgeons (ACS), the most common cause of suture needlestick injury is fascia closure (closure of the underlying layer below the skin that must be closed at the conclusion of most major surgical procedures), which accounts for 59 percent of all reported sharps injuries in the Operating Room (OR). Approximately 5 million fascia closures are performed each year in the U.S. alone. The SuturTek 360º Fascia Closure Device is specifically designed to protect surgeons, nurses and OR staff against potentially deadly suture needlestick injuries during fascia closure by ensuring that the sharp point of the suture needle – which is contained within a sterile, disposable suture cartridge at all times – is never exposed.

"The critical importance of our 360º Fascia Closure Device, that protects surgeons, nurses and OR staff against suture needlesticks, is underscored by a recent study from Johns Hopkins reporting that almost 40 percent of urban surgery patients are infected with deadly diseases such as hepatitis or HIV/AIDS," said Gerald Brecher, president and chief executive officer of SuturTek. "And surgeons tell us that our device is not only safe, but it's also fast, easy to use and delivers high quality clinical results."

The SuturTek 360º Fascia Closure Device consists of a patented, ergonomic, reusable suturing device that uses patented disposable suture cartridges. The device is faster, easier and safer for surgeons than tedious and difficult hand suturing. SuturTek suture cartridges use standard taper-point fascia closure needles and all types of standard absorbable or non-absorbable sutures. Hands and fingers are not exposed to the sharp point of the needle before, during or after the procedure.

The SuturTek 360º Fascia Closure Device has been used extensively in a wide variety of surgical procedures in the U.S. and Europe, including many types of major abdominal surgeries, caesarian deliveries, abdominal hysterectomies, hip and knee replacements, and spinal surgery. Preventing suture needlesticks is cost-effective: in an environment where each reported sharps injuries can cost as much as $3,500, hospitals using the SuturTek 360º Fascia Closure Device can achieve rapid ROI.

SOURCE: Suturtek, Inc.