Medtronic Makes Waves at Arab Health through Education and Technology Advances for the MEACAT Region, including Kuwait

Kuwait, 10 February 2016

Coinciding with celebration of the first anniversary of the incredibly successful Medtronic Academy, Medtronic the global leader in medical technology, launched the Valleylab^TM FT10 energy platform, available in Kuwait from March, at the Arab Health Exhibition and Congress in Dubai.

"Last year we launched the Medtronic Academy, which has gone on to be a resounding success, having trained 600 physicians across the MEACAT region, and this year we revealed the Valleylab^TM FT10 energy platform," said Dr. Ned Cosgriff, Medtronic's Chief Medical Officer Emerging Markets and VP Medical Affairs, EMEA.

Dr. Abdulla Al Mulaifi, Head of the Surgical Department at The Ministry of Defense Hospital in Kuwait, who attended the Valleylab^TM FT10 launch at the Arab Health Exhibition, said medical innovations are vastly changing the surgical practice in Kuwait.

"Patients' knowledge regarding surgical techniques are improving with easier online access and they prefer to opt for more minimally invasive techniques, as advantages far outweigh the complications," Dr Abdulla said.

"As far as Kuwait and other GCC countries are concerned, whose medical infrastructure are aspiring to implement the most modern techniques in medicine, they are competent enough to support growth and innovation in the medical field including adopting the ValleyLab FT10, which is an integral and unavoidable part of modern day surgery," he said.

In addition to the ValleyLab™ FT10 launch, Medtronic showcased therapies that treat nearly 70 major conditions including movement disorders, spinal conditions, ear, nose and throat conditions and urological disorders such as diabetes and heart conditions. Numerous support products that are used across a variety of procedures were also on display, including medical supplies, surgical instruments and navigation systems that help doctors see inside patients, devices that monitor patients during surgeries and technologies that monitor patients remotely.

"I think this illustrates the importance we place on matching our portfolio innovations with a solid commitment to training and support for the surgical community, thereby elevating the level of healthcare practice across the region," said Dr. Cosgriff.

The Medtronic Academy is a partnership with Sharjah University that provides the advantages of academic expertise, state-of-the-art facilities and innovative technologies, ultimately establishing a comprehensive training platform for physicians right across the region. The Medtronic Academy has trained almost 600 physicians from across the Middle East, Africa, Central Asia and Turkey region who have participated in one or more of the 30 courses offered at the training center of excellence.

Majid Kaddoumi, VP and Managing Director of Medtronic MEACAT said that a training academy was a key deliverable for Medtronic when relocating the MEACAT headquarters to Dubai. 'Our primary objective is to deliver training courses to hundreds of healthcare practitioners to improve their knowledge and skills across the areas of cardiac and vascular therapies, as well as general, thoracic and spine surgery at every level."    

The Valleylab FT10 is used by surgeons who perform gynaecological, colorectal, bariatric, general and urologic procedures for intricate techniques such as heat-sealing blood vessels and delicate incisions into body tissues. The new energy platform is designed to sense exactly the level of energy required during the procedures and deliver precisely what is needed to the tissue, allowing surgeons to perform critical procedures more efficiently.

 "We've built a generator that is smaller, simpler, and more intelligent in its energy delivery to provide surgeons with the ideal tool for today's complex procedures." Dr. Cosgriff said. "Its innovative design reflects our commitment to meeting the needs of surgeons and Healthcare systems around the world by providing them with advanced technology and training focused on improve patient outcomes." he added.

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About Medtronic
Medtronic plc (www.medtronic.com), headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, is among the world's largest medical technology, services and solutions companies - alleviating pain, restoring health and extending life for millions of people around the world. Medtronic employs more than 85,000 people worldwide, serving physicians, hospitals and patients in more than 160 countries. The company is focused on collaborating with stakeholders around the world to take healthcare Further, Together.

More information
Of surgeons overseas who have had the opportunity to use the Valleylab^TM FT10 energy platform, 97% said that it provided an improved surgical experience¹ with 91% adding that it offered improved control during procedures.¹ Patients also benefit from reduced procedure times.

Reference

1.                   Based on Covidien product validation report: "Product Validation of Valleylab^TM FT10 Surgeon & Nurse Evaluation in Simulated Use" January - February 2015; RE00005401.

© Press Release 2016