| New FDA-Approved Device Could Transform Practice of Urology |
| Friday, 23 September 2011 20:46 | |
 Parkers Prairie, Minnesota, September 23, 2011 – It’s called the Spanner, and it could revolutionize the treatment given to men suffering from an enlarged prostate, bladder problems, or both. The only temporary prostatic stent approved by the FDA, this new product is improving the quality of life and treatment outcomes for many.
In addition, the Spanner’s features is bringing comfort to Muslim men who have prostate problems or experience difficulty urinating. Until recently, a patient with these conditions was fitted with a Foley catheter, which directs urine into a bag attached to the patient’s thigh. Not only has this method been found to be less than satisfactory in a number of ways, there is an additional concern for men who practice Islam. Many consider the catheter and its external attachment unclean, which keeps them from entering a mosque for their daily prayers, which are obligatory. Dr. Danny Rabah, director of urology at King Saud University Medical School in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, sees this problem in many of his patients. Rabah, trained at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York, recently conducted a preliminary study where patients had the Spanner placed and removed in his office. Results indicated this new device was not only safe and effective, it was the preferred treatment for patients in the study, who reported their lives significantly improved as a result. With catheter and leg bag gone, the stent restored normalcy to their daily activities, including resumption of a normal level of sexual intimacy. Rabah, who is already instructing his medical residents in application of the Spanner, is planning a larger, 18-month analysis, adding that this more extensive research could have a major positive impact on patients world wide. “It will be a three-part study, ranging from quality of life improvement issues to those who will benefit from surgery and those who will not,” Rabah said. Initially, the medical community approached this new product with trepidation, after failure of an earlier, permanent metallic urethral stent caused many urologists to turn away from this procedure. But that mindset is changing, as more physicians accept this new product. Dr. Mitchell Humphreys, an urologist with the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona, has also found the Spanner works properly and is preferred by patients who previously had been tethered to a catheter and leg bag. He also sees its potential of becoming an effective diagnostic tool. Humphreys says the device can be valuable in helping physicians decide whether it’s the patient’s bladder or prostate causing the problem, because in 20% of cases, it’s the former. He added that “the Spanner offers the perfect option to patients considering surgery without risking morbidity or risk from the surgery.” Manufactured by AbbeyMoor Medical, Incorporated, the Spanner has been approved by the FDA and for reimbursement by Medicare. For more, please visit www.thespanner.com.
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