ORANGE, Conn., Dec. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- The world's first 12mm AirSeal single incision laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy was performed today at Mt. Auburn Hospital in Cambridge, MA. Dr. Tony DiSciullo and Dr. Peter Rosenblatt performed the procedure through a single 12mm access port in the abdomen. The AirSeal(TM) System creates an invisible pressure barrier that is self contained within the cannula and does not rely on traditional gaskets or valves. This provides unobstructed access to the cavity without losing intra-abdominal pressure and enabled Drs. DiSciullo and Rosenblatt to utilize multiple instruments through a single 12mm port.

Dr. DiSciullo, Assistant Professor of Obstetrics of and Gynecology at Harvard School of Medicine added, "There is no other system in the world that could provide us the opportunity to accomplish what we did today for this patient." Use of the AirSeal(TM) Dynamic Pressure System (DPS) is unique in its ability to maintain a seal without a mechanical gasket or valve. Surgeons would normally lose considerable visualization during a traditional laparoscopic approach and would have to constantly stop the surgery to vent the smoke plume from the abdomen which is caused by the use of electrocautery instruments. Use of the AirSeal DPS system provides a proprietary clinical advantage through its ability to simultaneously monitor the insufflator to maintain gas pressure inside the abdomen and capture smoke plume produced by electrocautery in the filtration system. This procedure, which normally requires four to five conventional trocars, was accomplished with only one 12mm AirSeal port and provided a superior cosmetic effect for the patient due to less scaring post-procedure.

"Technology that can enable the surgeon to perform advanced procedures less invasively has been one of our key objectives," said Kurt Azarbarzin, Founder and CEO of SurgiQuest. "We are very enthusiastic with the interest from surgeons around the world. We see the AirSeal(TM) system as a viable solution to many of the challenges they face in advancing the field of minimally invasive surgery."

About the AirSeal(TM) access system:

The AirSeal(TM) access system is a major technological shift in the field of minimally invasive surgery (MIS). By eliminating mechanical gaskets and valves from access ports, the AirSeal(TM) system provides unobstructed access to the abdominal cavity without losing intra-abdominal gas pressure. This groundbreaking, unencumbered approach to MIS is enabling both new procedure development and new instrument platforms geared toward enhancing patient clinical outcomes.

SurgiQuest, Inc. is a private venture-backed company, founded in May 2006. It develops, manufactures, and markets access technology for minimally invasive surgery.

http://www.surgiquest.com/

SOURCE SurgiQuest, Inc.