Olympus' Revolutionary System Allows Advanced Surgery Through Dime-Size Incision

Olympus develops cutting-edge technological system better enabling Laparoendoscopic Single Site Surgery.

Center Valley, PA and Southborough, MA, October 1, 2012 - Olympus announces the availability of a revolutionary surgical system allowing surgeons to remove the gallbladder through the belly button using a single incision of only 12-15mm in size – a solution only Olympus is offering at this time. This one-of-a-kind system, developed over a five year period, will better enable Laparoendoscopic Single Site Surgery (LESS) and encourage a wider spread adoption of using a single incision for gallbladder removal.

Working closely with leading surgeons and Advanced Surgical Concepts (ASC), Olympus developed the components necessary to conduct LESS procedures such as LESS Cholecystectomy (the surgical removal of the gallbladder), including an access port device (manufactured by ASC), instrumentation, and a state-of-the-art, high-definition, flexible tip laparoscope with imaging capabilities. These components have been designed to work seamlessly together and their integration is critical to the success of performing single-site surgery.

Gallbladder surgery is one of the most common surgical procedures performed in the United States with nearly one million conducted every year. Up until now, the surgery has been performed through four small incisions - each of which can cause scarring, pain, bleeding, infection and hernia. Olympus’ new system now makes it possible for surgeons to perform the procedure through one dime-size incision using four instruments rather than creating four separate incisions.

“Olympus was one of the first companies to pioneer the development of the LESS market,” commented Richard Reynolds, Executive Vice President, Olympus America Inc. “We recognized early on that to be successful, we had to work closely with the surgical community and produce a solution that would allow surgeons to safely and effectively use this new approach.”

Single-site surgery is still in its infancy in the United States; however, a group of internationally recognized surgeons from the United States, Europe and Asia recently published a white paper in the journal, Surgical Endoscopy, describing a standardized methodology for LESS Cholecystectomy. This standardization aims to smooth the transition to LESS procedures for the surgical community.

“I have tried single-site surgery in my practice and found it achievable,” stated Dr. Henry Davison Jr., Princeton Surgical Associates, P.A., Plainsboro, New Jersey. “I have started to use the standardized method and have found the procedure and my time commitment to be as manageable as my previous four-port technique. My practice has been building by word of mouth as a result of the LESS option, and most importantly, my patients are pleased with the results and minimization of scars. Also, the length of stay seems to be much shorter, with patients going home from the recovery room soon after surgery.”

Olympus views the advent of LESS as a profound advancement in the potential for patient care. Olympus will continue to dedicate itself to the development of surgical solutions across a range of procedures as well as new technologies and methodologies that will enable the surgical community to offer patients the highest quality of care through minimally invasive procedures.

To learn more about LESS procedures, visit www.olympusamerica.com/LESS.

About Olympus Medical Systems
Olympus develops solutions for healthcare professionals that help improve outcomes and enhance quality of life for their patients. By enabling less invasive procedures, innovative diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopy and early stage lung cancer evaluation and treatments, Olympus is transforming the future of healthcare. For more information about Olympus America, visit www.olympusamerica.com.

About Advanced Surgical Concepts
Advanced Surgical Concepts (ASC) was established in July 1998 to increase the number of Abdominal Surgeries performed endoscopically through the development of new access technologies. ASC has developed a series of revolutionary access systems that will enable surgeons to utilize endoscopic approaches for abdominal surgery. For more information, visit www.advancedsurgical.ie.

Olympus Media Contact
Mark Miller, Olympus, 484-896-3020, mark.miller@olympus.com

ASC Media Contact
Olwen Coughlan, ASC, +353 1 2864777, ollie@advancedsurgical.ie