Each year an estimated 3.8 million laparoscopic surgeries are performed in the U.S. Also known as minimally invasive or keyhole surgery, laparoscopic surgeries have become commonplace in the last several decades and are used to perform a number of different surgeries – from hysterectomies to the removal of gallbladders – cutting down on pain, recovery time and cost.During the procedure, small incisions are made and plastic tubes called ports are placed through these incisions. The camera and instruments are then introduced through the ports, which allow access to the inside of the patient.
The global market for laparoscopic devices is forecast to reach $8 billion by 2017, according to industry reports. In 2011, the North America laparoscopy devices market accounted for the majority of the laparoscopic market share (36 percent) in 2011 “primarily due to the high disposable income of consumers and the presence of advanced diagnostic and therapeutic technologies in the region,” according to a report by Transparency Market Research, a global market intelligence company.
With the increase in popularity of laparoscopic surgeries, there has been a growing need for new and innovative ways to assist surgeons during procedures.
New Wave Surgical Corp. in Pompano Beach has been on the cutting edge of creating products designed to revolutionize the medical marketplace in a cost-effective manner.
Founder and President Alexander Gomez formed the company in 2006 after seeing how surgeons were having difficulty with laparoscopic equipment because the camera lens was too cold and would fog up inside a warm body. To clear the lens, doctors had to constantly stop the procedure and wipe it off. That’s how D-HELP – a cleaning and defogging kit for laparoscopes – was born.
Last year, D-HELP was used in more than 300,000 surgeries, a 146 percent increase from the year before. It is now used in 1,100 hospitals in the U.S, and in 2014, New Wave will bring three new products to market – SuperWipe, WetDry and PattieBullet.
SuperWipe is used to quickly clean surgical Trocars, a sharp-pointed surgical instrument fitted with a cannula, and is X-ray detectable. This is important because it helps to prevent surgeons from accidentally leaving behind foreign materials after a procedure.
WetDry is a cloth used for cleaning patients post operatively that reduces the possibility hypothermia.
PattieBullet, is used to deploy large gauze pads through Trocars. Until now, surgeons would have to cut the gauze and shove it down the Trocar, putting patients at risk. Because the PattiBullet is tethered to a pad, it prevents the gauze from getting lost inside a patient.
Product development has grown out of customer demand. Surgeons help guide development by detailing what they would like to be able to do in the operating room.
While major players such as Covidien, Johnson & Johnson and STRYKER Corp., have a majority of the market share, smaller competitors also have been able to take advantage of the laparoscopic market by creating niche products, according to Millennium Research Group, a global authority on medical technology market intelligence.
