Healthcare Industry News:  AAA Endoprosthesis 

Devices

 News Release - November 15, 2006

Gore Launches Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms (AAA) Patient Educational Resource

New Educational Resource Explains Causes, Symptoms and Treatment Options for AAA, Including the GORE EXCLUDER(R) AAA Endoprosthesis Procedure

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz.--(HSMN NewsFeed)--W. L. Gore & Associates (GORE) announced today the launch of a new patient education resource intended to help provide the public with information about the causes, symptoms and available treatments for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms (AAA). The new resource, part of broader content and feature improvements to www.goremedical.com, guides visitors through a rich, television-like experience that addresses questions and concerns commonly raised by those affected by AAA.

Each year approximately 200,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with AAA, the swelling or ballooning of the abdominal aorta. When AAA is not treated it can lead to rupture, which is the 13th leading cause of death in the U.S. The Gore AAA Patient Information Resource was designed to educate the public about the condition and its treatment options, which include medication, open surgical repair and endovascular surgery.

"At Gore, we view our responsibility to patients and the physician community as more than just providing creative therapeutic solutions to complex medical problems. We feel compelled to share our knowledge base about health conditions, such as AAA, to support educated and informed decision-making," said Frank Burrows, AAA Marketing Coordinator at Gore. "The Gore AAA Patient Information Resource is interactive, user-friendly and allows patients to learn about a complex disease at their own pace."

Traditional surgical treatment of AAA involves a large incision to place a synthetic graft to repair the diseased artery. This method can result in long hospital stays and painful recoveries. Endovascular surgery presents a less-invasive alternative to this major open surgical approach.

The GORE EXCLUDER AAA Endoprosthesis is an endovascular graft and stent combination that seals off the aneurysm and creates a new path for the blood to flow. The GORE EXCLUDER Endoprosthesis is inserted through a small incision in the patient's leg using a catheter-based delivery technique. Once the graft is correctly positioned in the diseased aorta, the device self-expands using radial force and metal anchors to permanently secure it to the walls of the aorta. The expected outcomes of this new treatment option include decreased procedural times and shorter hospital stays.

ABOUT W.L. GORE & ASSOCIATES

The Gore Medical Products Division has provided creative therapeutic solutions to complex medical problems for three decades. During that time, more than 18 million innovative Gore Medical Devices have been implanted, saving and improving the quality of lives worldwide. The extensive Gore Medical family of products includes vascular grafts, endovascular and interventional devices, surgical meshes for hernia repair and sutures for use in vascular, cardiac and general surgery.

GORE and EXCLUDER® are trademarks of W. L. Gore & Associates.


Source: W. L. Gore

Issuer of this News Release is solely responsible for its content.
Please address inquiries directly to the issuing company.



FindReps - Find Great Medical Independent Sales Reps without recruiter fees.
FindReps - available on the Apple App Store for iPhone and iPad.