ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Feb. 24 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Smith & Nephew's Advanced Wound Management division today announced the U.S. launch of its new RENASYS(TM) EZ Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (NPWT) system, designed to address the needs of wound care professionals and patients, and allow clinicians to exercise their own best clinical judgment in NPWT with confidence. Smith & Nephew will preview the RENASYS(TM) EZ at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Annual Meeting in Las Vegas, and will introduce it in March 2009.
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Smith & Nephew designed the RENASYS(TM) EZ based on customer insights to improve the NPWT experience, focusing on greater ease-of-use and patient comfort across the full range of wound types. RENASYS(TM) EZ allows clinicians to use variable pressure control, enables clinicians to treat surgical, traumatic or chronic wounds according to the individual needs of the patient and the characteristics of the patient's wound. RENASYS(TM) EZ can be used with both the foam and gauze wound interfaces, allowing for broader therapy selection from a single supplier.
"Smith & Nephew asked clinicians and administrators worldwide what they wanted in a NPWT system," said Joe Woody, President, Smith & Nephew Advanced Wound Management. "Their answer? A system that delivers all the clinical benefits of NPWT while improving performance in patient comfort, ease of use, and cost-effectiveness. We believe that RENASYS(TM) EZ more than meets these needs and will play an important, growing role in the NPWT marketplace. With United Hospital Services and Apria Healthcare as our partners, we have the largest NPWT distribution channel in the U.S. and can deliver and support NPWT systems wherever clinicians and patients may need them."
Dr. Raymond Dunn, Chairman of Plastic Surgery, University of Massachusetts, said, "Negative pressure has given us another tool to manage difficult wounds. The new devices and range of wound interfaces that Smith & Nephew now offer provides clinicians with greater choice for different types of clinical wound problems. Smith & Nephew's leadership in this area will greatly facilitate additional innovation and research needed to improve patient outcomes and create greater economic value for the healthcare system."
RENASYS(TM) EZ Features & Functions
In addition to a simple control that varies pressure from 40 to 200 mmHg and the ability to use both foam and gauze dressings, Smith & Nephew designed RENASYS(TM) EZ with additional features that enhance the patient experience and facilitate its ease of use.
"We conducted the clinical in-market evaluation of the RENASYS(TM) EZ at University of Massachusetts," said Dr. Dunn. "We used the RENASYS(TM) EZ to treat a wide range of acute, chronic and peri-operative wounds. The study showed improved outcomes in the healing of skin grafts, including grafts for very complex wounds."
Promoting Choice in NPWT
Smith & Nephew introduced small, medium and large RENASYS(TM) F Foam Dressing Kits in December 2008 to provide clinicians with access to foam and gauze wound interfaces from a single NPWT device manufacturer. With the extra-large (43x30x3 cm) foam dressing kit due in March 2009, Smith & Nephew will offer the most comprehensive range of foam- and gauze-based dressing kits available in the marketplace.
"Foam may be cut easily to fit a patient's wound that has a regular contour, such as surgical dehiscence or abdominal wound," said Robin Carlstein, Senior Vice President of Advanced Wound Devices at Smith & Nephew. "For pain-sensitive patients or patients with shallow or irregular wounds, gauze may be a better choice for the wound bed. We want the clinician to be able to select the best wound interface based on the patient's needs, the wound, or the particular care setting."
Leadership in Wound Care
"True innovation in medical technology should improve patient outcomes and lower costs to the healthcare system," added Mr. Woody. "Smith & Nephew has been the innovative leader in wound care for over 150 years. We continually challenge ourselves to understand the critical issues faced by our customers and deliver products and services that add value to their clinical practice and healthcare institutions. We are the only company to provide a total wound management solution with a broad portfolio of great products. We are very excited about the future of our new NPWT solution."
Smith & Nephew will demonstrate the RENASYS(TM) EZ's efficacy, flexibility and ease of use at Booth 3211 and Booth 2817 of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Annual Meeting. The meeting will be held at the Venetian/Sands EXPO in Las Vegas from February 25 to 29, 2009.
For more information regarding Smith & Nephew's solutions for NPWT, please visit www.smith-nephew.com.
About Smith & Nephew
Smith & Nephew is a global medical technology business, specializing in Orthopaedics, including Reconstruction, Trauma and Clinical Therapies; Endoscopy and Advanced Wound Management. Smith & Nephew is a global leader in arthroscopy and advanced wound management and is one of the leading global orthopaedics companies.
Smith & Nephew is dedicated to helping improve people's lives. The Company prides itself on the strength of its relationships with its surgeons and professional healthcare customers, with whom its name is synonymous with high standards of performance, innovation and trust. The Company operates in 32 countries around the world. Annual sales in 2008 were $3.8 billion.
Forward-Looking Statements
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All forward-looking statements in this press release are based on information available to Smith & Nephew as of the date hereof. All written or oral forward-looking statements attributable to Smith & Nephew or any person acting on behalf of Smith & Nephew are expressly qualified in their entirety by the foregoing. Smith & Nephew does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement contained herein to reflect any change in Smith & Nephew's expectation with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based.
CONTACT: For press, Steve DiMattia, Managing Director of EVC Group, Inc.,
+1-646-201-5445, for Smith & Nephew; for investors and analysts, Liz
Hewitt, Group Director Corporate Affairs, Smith & Nephew, +44 (0)20 7401
7646, for other inquiries, Robin Carlstein, Global Senior Vice President of
Smith & Nephew Advanced Wound Management, +1-727-300-3726
Web site: http://www.smith-nephew.com/