Healthcare Industry News: venous insufficiency
News Release - August 14, 2007
Physicians, Varicose Vein Patients Celebrate the VNUS ClosureFAST Catheter
Successful New Procedure for Diseased Leg Veins Earns Enthusiastic Testimonials for Speed, Comfort, Swift RecoverySAN JOSE, Calif., Aug. 14 (HSMN NewsFeed) -- VNUS® Medical Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: VNUS ), a worldwide leader in medical devices for the minimally invasive treatment of venous reflux disease, is enjoying an enthusiastic reception for the VNUS ClosureFAST(TM) catheter, which is now in use by physicians nationwide for successfully treating a primary underlying cause of painful varicose veins. Physicians and patients alike have been delighted with the performance of ClosureFAST, an endovenous radiofrequency (RF) ablation catheter, in rapidly and comfortably sealing the diseased leg veins that afflict more than 25 million Americans.
"ClosureFAST has literally changed the dynamics of my practice -- I'm treating more patients and enjoying it more," said Dr. Charles Dietzek of the Vein & Vascular Institute in Voorhees, New Jersey. "The procedure is a pleasure to perform because it's so quick -- pullback time is now a predictable two to three minutes, down from 15 to 25 minutes with the previous catheter design. All of the catheter variables have been virtually eliminated, making the entire procedure consistently less than 30 minutes. I'm seeing better results and overall response with ClosureFAST. Most important, the patients are amazed and delighted with how fast and comfortable the procedure is."
"Having ClosureFAST was the easiest thing I've ever done, and my legs look and feel better than I ever thought they could," said Tammy Shoemaker, 44, mother of four and patient of Dr. Paul McNeill in Frederick, Maryland. "Having undergone vein stripping ten years ago and still carrying the scars, I was amazed by this procedure -- there was absolutely no pain at all, and I just walked out in minutes. Within a day, there was a clear difference in my legs -- the chronic aching was gone, the color had returned to normal and they literally felt lighter. I've gotten many compliments on the improvement in my legs, and I'm pain-free for the first time in many years. I couldn't be more pleased with ClosureFAST."
"What I tell primary care physicians is that the ClosureFAST technology has enabled a paradigm shift in how we manage patients with venous insufficiency," said Dr. Joseph Magnant of Fort Myers, Florida. "A surprising number of primary physicians still aren't fully aware that we've advanced so far beyond vein stripping, and it makes perfect sense to educate them on the availability of such an effective, minimally invasive alternative for people with painful varicose veins that haven't responded to conservative treatment. The ClosureFAST procedure is fast, easy and incredibly well tolerated, and patients love it - they have none of the pain or bruising of laser."
"I'm seeing great results with ClosureFAST, both visually and post-op, and it's a much more efficient procedure," said Dr. Palma Shaw of Boston University Medical Center. "Pullback time has been dramatically reduced -- it's about one-tenth of what it was -- and I can get in and out of the operating room faster and do more cases in a day."
"In 20 years of treating patients for varicose veins, ClosureFAST is absolutely the best technology and method I have seen," said Dr. Charles Strub of Monroe, Washington. "My patients are shocked that the procedure is done so quickly, and they're able to get up and go right back to their lives. They have almost immediate relief of their symptoms and no restrictions on their activity. There are millions of patients out there who still believe vein stripping is their only treatment option, and once they know about ClosureFAST, I think there will be a massive demand for this procedure."
The VNUS ClosureFAST catheter heats and closes diseased saphenous veins by delivering 20-second bursts of thermal energy to the vein walls, and the procedure is designed to seal a typical 45-centimeter vein segment in three to five minutes of treatment or less. The procedure has been broadly available in the United States since April 2007, and has been performed on more than 25,000 patients. The most recent European clinical data on the ClosureFAST catheter showed that in patients receiving followup examinations six months after the procedure, 99 percent of treated veins remained sealed.
"We're extraordinarily pleased with the performance of the ClosureFAST catheter and the enthusiasm of the physicians and patients who have experienced what the device can do," said Brian E. Farley, President and CEO of VNUS. "Patients who may have avoided surgery in the past because of the long and painful recovery, or who are concerned about the pain and bruising associated with laser ablation, may now undergo a procedure that deals with their venous reflux disease in minutes and offers a fast and mild recovery. We believe that ClosureFAST is rapidly changing the landscape for varicose vein sufferers and the professionals who treat them."
ABOUT VNUS MEDICAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Founded in 1995 and headquartered in San Jose, California, VNUS Medical Technologies (Nasdaq: VNUS ) is a worldwide leader in medical devices for the minimally invasive treatment of venous reflux disease, a progressive condition that causes the varicose veins afflicting 25 million Americans. The pioneering company in the field, VNUS now offers the ClosureFAST system, which consists of a proprietary radiofrequency (RF) generator and proprietary disposable endovenous catheters and devices to close diseased veins through the application of temperature-controlled RF energy. VNUS devices have been used in more than 200,000 procedures worldwide. For more information, please visit http://www.vnus.com.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
In addition to statements of historical facts or statements of current conditions, VNUS has made forward-looking statements in this press release. Words such as "thinks" or "believes" or variations of such words and similar expressions, are intended to identify such forward-looking statements in this press release. Actual results may differ materially from current expectations based on a number of factors affecting VNUS' business, including, among other things, market acceptance of the ClosureFAST catheter, customer and physician preferences, our ability to manufacture sufficient quantities of the ClosureFAST catheter, and the effectiveness of advertising and other promotional campaigns. The reader is cautioned not to unduly rely on these forward-looking statements. VNUS expressly disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements except as required by law. Additional information concerning these and other risk factors can be found in press releases issued by VNUS and VNUS' periodic public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including its Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 30, 2007. Copies of VNUS' press releases and additional information about VNUS are available on the corporate website at http://www.vnus.com.
Source: VNUS Medical Technologies
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