Healthcare Industry News: Endoscopic Surgery
News Release - October 13, 2008
USGI Announces Key Management Appointments
Bart Bandy Joins USGI as General Manager of Newly-Created Flexible Surgery DivisionJohn Cox Promoted to General Manager of EndoSurgery Division
SAN CLEMENTE, Calif., Oct. 13 -- (Healthcare Sales & Marketing Network) -- USGI Medical, Inc. today announced two key management appointments that will help drive the company's leadership in Incisionless surgery.
The company has named Bart Bandy General Manager of its new Flexible Surgery division focused on supplying the company's Incisionless devices to surgeons for use in NOTES (natural orifice translumenal Endoscopic Surgery) and single-port procedures. Also, the company has announced that John Cox has been promoted to General Manager of EndoSurgery, the division of the company focused on expanding the use of USGI's Incisionless devices within the GI tract.
"John and Bart bring decades of medical device experience to USGI Medical and will lead our efforts to provide surgeons and gastroenterologists with our Incisionless devices that have the potential to revolutionize surgery," said USGI Medical CEO Eugene Chen. "We are extremely pleased to have Bart on board and John in his new leadership role."
Mr. Bandy comes to USGI from Allergan where he most recently served as Senior Vice President of the company's Allergan Health division (formerly Inamed Health). Prior to joining Inamed in 1999, he held various management positions of increased responsibility with Ethicon Endo-Surgery Inc., Karl Storz Endoscopy-America, Inc., and Harris/Lanier Worldwide. He is a past Chairman of the American Society for Bariatric Surgery Corporate Council and previously served as President of the Society of American Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Surgeons Corporate Council.
"Leading surgeons have used USGI's Incisionless surgical tools to pioneer the next evolution of minimally invasive surgery," Mr. Bandy said. "This is only the beginning. I expect our technology to have the similar impact as laparoscopic instruments have had over the past two decades. The USGI EndoSurgical Operating System (EOS) combines the flexibility of endoscopy with the surgical benefits of laparoscopy, giving surgeons access to the internal organs with less pain to the patient and better cosmetic results. I'm extremely pleased to join USGI as it sits at the forefront of surgical innovation."
Mr. Cox, who was previously USGI's Vice President of Sales and Marketing, has over 20 years of experience in medical device marketing, sales, and development. Over the last four years, John has been driving development of the EOS and has been named solo or joint inventor in numerous issued or pending patents. Prior to USGI, Mr. Cox held various management positions with B. Braun Aesculap, Applied Medical, Stryker and U.S. Surgical. In addition, Mr. Cox holds a B.A. from the University of Virginia, and received his MBA with Academic Honors from Virginia's Darden School of Business.
"As we prepare for wider U.S. launch of our Incisionless Platform next year, we see strong demand for surgery without scars and painful incisions giving rise to a whole new breed of "incisionless surgeons" ready to meet that demand. Over the last year, surgeons have used the EOS in a wide variety of procedures, including stoma and pouch reduction in post-bypass patients, fistula closure, and other common GI and surgical procedures," Mr. Cox said. "Incisionless techniques have the potential to augment or replace millions of common invasive procedures across a wide range of applications."
About USGI Medical
USGI Medical is the leader in Incisionless Surgery. USGI's EndoSurgical Operating System(TM) (EOS) provides surgeons the operating platform and specialized tools they need to perform surgery through a patient's mouth or other natural orifices, reducing or eliminating the need for external incisions into the abdomen. Operating through the body's natural orifices offers promise for less pain, shorter hospital stays, reduced risk of wound infection and no external scars -- and is rapidly becoming an option demanded by patients and healthcare providers. USGI offers surgeons and gastroenterologists the technology they need to offer millions of potential patients a less invasive surgical option.
Source: USCI Medical
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