Real-time Nerve Identification for Robotic Surgery
Up to 38% of patients have erectile dysfunction and 10% are incontinent following “successful” robotic-assisted prostate cancer surgery
Austin, Texas (PRWEB) March 18, 2014
ProPep Surgical, a privately-held, Austin-based medical device company developing intraoperative nerve monitoring technologies for laparoscopic and robotic-assisted cancer surgery, announced today it was awarded a $4,435,857 product development grant from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas. ProPep will use the grant to conduct additional clinical studies, specifically, two multi-center clinical studies exploring how the use of their ProPep Nerve Monitoring System can help reduce nerve damage related side-effects such as erectile dysfunction and urinary incontinence in robotic-assisted prostate cancer surgery and urinary and fecal incontinence in robotic-assisted radical hysterectomy surgery.
The ProPep Nerve Monitoring System is the first, real-time nerve identification system specifically designed for use during robotic-assisted surgery. Fast, accurate and easy to use, the System aids a surgeon in identifying otherwise invisible nerves during minimally invasive robotic-assisted pelvic surgery. The product is currently FDA cleared for use during laparoscopic and robotic-assisted prostate cancer surgery.
“We are honored to be chosen for the CPRIT grant,” stated Tom Stone, Chief Executive Officer of ProPep Surgical. “This grant will allow ProPep to accelerate its clinical initiatives toward its goal of improving post-surgery quality of life for cancer patients. Nerve injury is widely recognized as one of the primary causes of erectile dysfunction and urinary incontinence following prostate cancer surgery. Literature reports up to 38% of patients have erectile dysfunction and 10% are incontinent following “successful” robotic-assisted prostate cancer surgery. ProPep’s focus is to help surgeon’s improve these results by providing them real time information about the location of these critical nerves so they can be avoided during surgery.”
About ProPep Surgical, LLC
Established in 2010, ProPep Surgical is a privately-held, Austin-based medical device company developing a system of products (ProPep Nerve Monitoring System) to aid laparoscopic and robotic surgeons in identifying the location of and monitoring the integrity of otherwise nonvisible nerves during minimally invasive pelvic surgery. Real time identification of these nerves allows surgeons to make more informed decisions about which tissue to selectively preserve or remove during surgery and as a result, potentially reduces the common side effects typically attributed to inadvertent nerve damage during these procedures. Learn more at propepsurgical.com.
About the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas
Beginning operations in 2009, CPRIT has to date awarded more than $850 million in grants to Texas researchers, institutions, non-profits and private enterprises. Besides scientific research funding, CPRIT also provides funding for product development and prevention programs. Programs made possible with CPRIT funding have reached every corner of the state, brought more than 50 distinguished researchers to Texas, advanced scientific and clinical knowledge, and made life-saving education, training, prevention and early detection services accessible to more than 1.3 million Texans at risk of cancer. In 2013, CPRIT worked with the Texas Legislature and its stakeholders on restructuring measures that have strengthened agency governance and improved transparency and accountability. Learn more at cprit.state.tx.us