Brussels, 15 May 2007 - Eucomed, the European Medical Technology Industry Association, has today launched the third in a series of educational publications on medical technology innovation, focusing on minimally invasive surgery.
Minimally-invasive surgery (MIS) is an area that has seen tremendous development in recent years and which offers great advantages and benefits to both patients and healthcare providers due to the much faster recovery times and reduced hospital stays that it facilitates. Few areas of surgery do not currently benefit from advances in MIS.
An MIS procedure is defined as one that is carried by entering the body through a small incision in the skin or, through a body cavity or anatomical opening, with the minimum damage possible. Resulting in far less trauma for the patient, MIS can also be less resource intensive, greatly reduce the patient's time in hospital and speed up recovery times, generally causes the patient less pain and scarring, and may greatly reduce the incidence of post-surgical complications. It is important to note that MIS is not synonymous with minor surgery as it is now commonly used in serious and complex operations such as heart surgery.
The following are just a few examples of the rapidly increasing range of surgical procedures benefiting from MIS: small bowel surgery, removal of kidney stones and tumours, brain surgery, carotid angioplasty and stenting, and knee replacement surgery. Continuing research and development is being carried out in the medical technology industry to improve and refine MIS techniques.
Mark Grossien
Communications Director
mark.grossien(at)eucomed(dot)be
+32 (0)2.775.92.24
