TRIBUNE NEWS NETWORK

DOHA DR MICHEL Gagner, an expert in minimally invasive surgery at the Hamad General Hospital, has performed a series of single-site sleeve gastrectomy procedures on 20 patients using the Spider Surgical System.

With the system, Gagner makes a single incision located inside the patient’s belly button.

Through this incision he places the Spider System and a surgical stapler. A typical sleeve gastrectomy procedure with traditional laparoscopic equipment usually requires four or five incisions made across the patient’s abdomen.

Recently, Dr Gagner shared clinical videos and commentary on his successful experience in a presentation at the Four Seasons Hotel.

TransEnterix, the company that has developed the Spider System, had members of management in attendance for the dinner gala. Luke Roush, vicepresident of sales and global marketing, and Robin Hembry, vice-president for EMEA, offered comments on the work that has been completed to date.

“As we seek to advance surgery through innovation, working with a first-class hospital and surgical team is very important,” said Roush.

“Prof Gagner and the team at Hamad General Hospital are the first to use the Spider System in the Middle East and Asia. We are very pleased that they are leading the way with this new technology, which will benefit their patients.” Al Danah Medical Company is the Qatar-based company that is distributing this surgical innovation from the US to Hamad General Hospital.

“The outstanding leadership of Al Danah and the vision they have is the reason we partnered with them to begin our work in Qatar,” said Hembry.

“Having a partner that understands innovation in surgery is necessary, and Al Danah understands how to introduce a new technology like the Spider System into the marketplace,” he added.