August 27, 2007 — Novare Surgical Systems announced the successful completion of what are believed to be the first ever laparoscopic nephrectomies that left no visible scar.
The procedures were performed by Dr. Jeffrey Cadeddu, associate professor of urology and radiology at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, TX.
"A laparoscopic approach already means a smaller incision, less pain and shorter recovery time for the patient," said Dr. Cadeddu, who leads the Clinical Center for Minimally Invasive Treatment of Urologic Cancer. "Now noticeable scarring has been removed as a side-effect from this type of procedure. We're showing surgeons can do a procedure using only one hole and that they can hide the hole in a cosmetically advantageous or less painful location. In trying to minimize the invasiveness of this surgery, the trauma was consolidated to a very small incision."
RealHand HD instruments are full range of motion hand-held laparoscopic instruments. Developed with the EndoLink mechanism, RealHand technology is designed to mirror the surgeon's hand direction with the added benefit of tactile feedback. As such, when the surgeon's hand moves in one direction, the instrument tip exactly follows.
Unlike standard laparoscopic instrumentation, RealHand offers complete 7 degrees of freedom of movement in a hand-held instrument and with no need for additional hardware. Moreover, RealHand will enable surgeons to perform more difficult maneuvers that otherwise cannot be completed with traditional rigid instruments. RealHand HD instruments make it easy to actively manipulate and complete tasks regardless of whether the instrument is positioned over, under, or around structures.
For more information: www.novaresurgical.com
