ESTEEMED NEUROSURGEON DR. KEVIN T. FOLEY NAMED CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER FOR TRUE DIGITAL SURGERY

September 17, 2024 |

6 min read

Chairman of the Semmes Murphey Neurologic and Spine Institute Respected as Pioneering Inventor with nearly 200 patents

GOLETA, Calif., Sept. 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Renowned microsurgeon and True Digital Surgery (TDS) Board Member Dr. Kevin T. Foley, has been selected to the newly created position of Chief Medical Officer for the leading-edge company whose Digital Surgical Exoscope Platform, currently being utilized in over 20 countries worldwide, is changing the paradigm of surgical visualization.

Acknowledged as one of the most distinguished neurosurgeons in the medical field, Dr. Foley serves as the Chairman of the Semmes Murphey Neurologic and Spine Institute and, concurrently, a professor of neurosurgery, orthopedic surgery, and biomedical engineering at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center.

Dr. Foley is recognized as a pioneering inventor and thought leader in the advancement of minimally invasive, and open surgery. The holder of some 180 issued US Patents, Dr. Foley has also been honored with the Cushing Award for Technical Excellence and Innovation in Neurosurgery from the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS). His influence as a board member, lecturer, and professor, reaches beyond minimally invasive surgery into disk regeneration, spinal biomechanics, robotics, and advanced materials, to revolutionize patient healing and outcomes in spine surgery.

“True Digital Surgery is truly honored to have a special relationship with Dr. Foley,” said Aidan Foley, TDS Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “While we are, unfortunately, not related, I have had the privilege to call Kevin my friend and colleague for about 20 years. We first met as investors, and Board Members in TrueVision Systems, the predecessor company to TDS, and enjoyed a successful exit when TrueVision was acquired in 2018. Dr. Foley’s extensive experience, knowledge and foresight to advance surgical care through breakthrough development and implementation is incomparable in the medical field. We are honored that he has agreed to take on this new and pivotal role as Chief Medical Officer to help guide our innovation as TDS continues to evolve our surgical platform.”

In his new role as Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Foley will provide clinical counsel to TDS on its continual product roadmap, particularly which key features to prioritize to further enable critical workflow process issues in the OR.

TDS is a commercial-stage developer of advanced 3D digital microscopy and intelligent surgical technologies. For over two decades, TDS has developed whole product solutions (software and hardware) for robotically controlled 3D digital visualization systems, designed to improve decision quality and patient outcomes. TDS developed and launched—in partnership with B. Braun/AESCULAP—the Aesculap Aeos^® Robotic Digital Microscope, an innovative 3D digital microscope for neurosurgery, spine and ENT procedures. TDS has a robust pipeline of advanced modalities and integrated imaging solutions.

“I’ve been associated with True Digital Surgery and its predecessor TrueVision Systems since 2008 and have seen its promise fulfilled of advancing surgical visualization to benefit doctors, patients and hospitals,” said Dr. Foley. “TDS’ proprietary technology continues to impress, and I’ve seen firsthand, the increasing adoption rate of exoscopes by surgeons and medical facilities as they transition away from traditional analog microscopes. In my opinion, TDS’ exoscopes are best in class. The TDS-designed product roadmap continues to add remarkable groundbreaking features that enable surgeons more precision, control, comfort and clarity to improve patient outcomes. I’m proud of my association and honored to have been asked to serve as Chief Medical Officer.”

Kevin T. Foley, M.D. (TDS Chief Medical Officer)

Dr. Kevin Foley is a professor in the Departments of Neurosurgery and Orthopedic Surgery & Biomedical Engineering at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis, Tennessee. He is the chairman of Semmes-Murphey Clinic, chairman of the board and medical director for the Medical Education & Research Institute, and emeritus director of the spine fellowship at the University of Tennessee.

Dr. Foley received his Doctor of Medicine degree from UCLA in 1979, five years after graduating from high school, and was elected to membership in the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society. He completed a neurosurgery residency at UCLA in 1985.

Following residency, Dr. Foley served in the United States Army Medical Corps as Assistant Chief of Neurosurgery at Brooke Army Medical Center, Chief of Neurosurgery at Tripler Army Medical Center, and Chief of Neurosurgery at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, where he was also the chairman of the neurosurgical residency training program. During his military service, Dr. Foley was promoted to lieutenant colonel and was awarded the Army Commendation Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters, the Order of Military Medical Merit, and the Surgeon General’s Physician Recognition Award.

In 1992, Dr. Foley left the military and joined Semmes-Murphey Clinic and the Department of Neurosurgery at UTHSC. In addition to a full-time spine surgery practice, he is actively involved in research in minimally invasive spine surgery, image-guided navigation, robotics, spinal biomechanics, clinical outcomes, disc regeneration, and the application of novel bone adhesives to cranial and spinal surgery. He has over 240 peer-reviewed publications to his credit, has lectured at more than 700 scientific meetings and educational workshops, and has been a visiting professor and invited lecturer at numerous universities in the U.S. and abroad. In addition, Dr. Foley has been issued over 180 U.S. patents; in fact, he has many more issued U.S. patents than any neurosurgeon, past or present. His inventions include tubular retractors for minimally invasive spinal surgery, methods and devices for image-guided surgery, minimally invasive spinal fixation using screws with percutaneous extenders, and progenitor cell therapy for disc regeneration. In recognition of his accomplishments, Dr. Foley was presented with the American Association of Neurological Surgeons Cushing Award for Technical Excellence and Innovation in Neurosurgery in 2019 and the World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies William Beecher Scoville Award in 2023.

About True Digital Surgery
With a nearly two-decade legacy of creating cutting-edge medical devices, True Digital Surgery is advancing its innovative 3D surgery digital platform through the integration of optics and robotics with augmented reality and machine learning that result in life-extending outcomes for both surgeons and patients.

To learn more, visit: https://www.truedigitalsurgery.com/solutions/

Contact:
True Digital Surgery
Barry Stagg

Director, Corporate Communications and Investor Relations

(310) 880-3193

bstagg@truedigitalsurgery.com