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BAUSCH + LOMB ANNOUNCES COMPLETION OF 100TH CLINICAL CASE USING VITESSE® HYPERSONIC VITRECTOMY SYSTEM ON STELLARIS ELITE™ VISION ENHANCEMENT SYSTEM
First Major Vitreous Removal Advancement in More than 40 Years Demonstrates Benefits in Wide Variety of Surgeries
BRIDGEWATER, N.J., Oct. 16, 2018 – Bausch + Lomb, a leading global eye health company, today announced the completion of the 100th clinical case using Vitesse®, the first and only hypersonic, 100 percent open port vitrectomy system, in the United States. This technology, which represents the first major vitreous removal innovation in more than 40 years, is featured exclusively on the Stellaris Elite™ vision enhancement system.
“Since the introduction of Vitesse we’ve been on an exciting journey, through which we have learned a great deal about the technology’s strengths and potential,” said Chuck Hess, vice president and general manager, U.S. Surgical, Bausch + Lomb. “We are committed to building upon this experience through a continued partnership with our customers, which will allow us to uncover more knowledge that will contribute to the benefits that this technology can bring to surgeons in the United States and globally.”
Since Vitesse received FDA 510(k) clearance in 2017, surgeons around the world have employed the technology in a wide variety of cases, including macular hole, macular pucker, vitreous hemorrhage, tractional retinal detachment, rhegmatogenous retinal detachment, vitreomacular traction, floaters, total retinal detachment with giant retinal tear and proliferative vitreoretinopathy. Vitesse has allowed surgeons to induce posterior vitreous detachment, efficiently remove vitreous and membranes, perform a fluid air exchange, and clear a vitreous hemorrhage. In more complex cases, operating surgeons have been able to effectively work near a retinal detachment, shave the vitreous base and delaminate and remove tissue.
“My colleagues and I have used the Vitesse hypersonic vitrectomy system to successfully perform a wide spectrum of surgical cases,” said Carl Awh, a vitreoretinal surgeon from Nashville, TN. “This technology holds tremendous promise, with potential advantages over conventional vitrectomy cutters in select settings. More experience will help us better understand and refine this exciting technology. I look forward to sharing my observations and experience with hypersonic vitrectomy, and to learn from the growing number of surgeons who have used the Vitesse system.”
Dr. Awh will present his clinical experience with Vitesse at Retina Subspecialty Day at the American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting in Chicago later this month. His presentation, “Hypersonic Vitrectomy: Continued Clinical Experience and Technical Improvements”, will take place on Friday, Oct. 26 at 8:37 a.m. CST at the McCormick Place Lakeside Center, Hall E.
About Vitesse
In 2017, Bausch + Lomb received 510(k) clearance from the FDA for Vitesse, the first and only hypersonic, open port vitrectomy system in the United States. Vitesse features a novel, single lumen design with a fixed open port for a consistent flow and creates a highly localized tissue liquification zone to liquefy the vitreous at the edge of the port before aspiration. Vitreous removal is currently performed with a guillotine style vitrectomy cutter, a cutting mechanism introduced more than 40 years ago, which is still used to perform vitrectomies today. Such pneumatically driven vitrectomy cutters employ a needle-inside-a-needle design to perform a guillotine cut of the vitreous, which is then aspirated.
Vitesse is available exclusively on Bausch + Lomb’s Stellaris Elite vision enhancement system, the company’s next generation surgical platform.
About Bausch + Lomb
Bausch + Lomb, a Bausch Health Companies Inc. company, is a leading global eye health organization that is solely focused on helping people see better to live better. Its core businesses include over-the-counter products, dietary supplements, eye care products, ophthalmic pharmaceuticals, contact lenses, lens care products, ophthalmic surgical devices and instruments. Bausch + Lomb develops, manufactures and markets one of the most comprehensive product portfolios in the industry, which is available in more than 100 countries. For more information, visit www.bausch.com.
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