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TWST: Tell us about Trimedyne.
Dr. Loeb: Trimedyne is located in Irvine, California, and manufactures
lasers that are used in minimally invasive procedures as an alternative
to conventional surgery. Many of our laser procedures are performed on
an outpatient basis, reducing both the cost and many of the risks of
surgery. In addition, patients usually recover faster after a laser
procedure, return to work earlier, and have better results than with
conventional surgery. Our business is divided into four segments.
Orthopedics represents about 50% of our revenues, urology is currently
about 30%, gynecology and ENT about 5%, and rentals of lasers and field
services are about 15%. In orthopedics, Trimedyne makes Holmium lasers
and side firing laser needles that are used to treat herniated or
ruptured discs in the spine in minimally invasive outpatient procedure.
The patient is usually discharged about an hour after the procedure with
no stitches ' only a Band-Aid on the puncture ' and can return to normal
activities in a few days. Conventional surgery to treat these conditions
entails a two to three-day hospital stay, significant postoperative
pain, and a recuperation period of a month or more. In addition, surgery
typically costs about twice as much as our outpatient laser procedures.
Trimedyne's lasers are also used on an outpatient basis to treat damage
in joints such as the knee, shoulder, elbow, and wrist. The patients
typically experience no bleeding, less pain, heal faster, and can return
to normal activities earlier than with surgery. In urology, Trimedyne
sells Holmium lasers and optical fibers that are used to fragment
urinary stones in the bladder, ureter, or kidney. Holmium lasers produce
very high pulses of energy, which rapidly fragment stones of any color,
hardness, or composition. Optical fibers must be very flexible in order
to reach stones in the crevasses in the kidney. Our optical fibers are
more flexible than those of our largest competitors and are also sold
for substantially less. Our newest device, the VaporMAX Side Firing
Laser Fiber, has been cleared for sale by the FDA and is used with our
80 watt Holmium laser to treat enlarged prostates in men, technically
benign prostatic hyperplasia or BPH. This is a condition affecting about
50% of men over age 55. Our VaporMAX Fiber vaporizes tissue faster than
any laser device presently being marketed, an average of three grams of
soft tissue per minute, and is more durable, based on comparative
laboratory testing of animal tissue and published data. About 30 grams
of an average 50-gram prostate can usually be removed in only about 10
minutes of lasing, and this procedure is typically performed on an
outpatient basis. Conventional surgery to treat an enlarged prostate of
this size takes about an hour or more and entails the risk of a blood
transfusion, impotence, and incontinence. Also, our VaporMAX Fiber lasts
long enough to treat even very large prostates. Sometimes, two of our
competitors' side firing fibers are needed to treat a very large
prostate, which significantly increases the cost of the procedure.
Tickers included in this excerpt: TMED
For more information call (212) 952 7433. The
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