BLOOMINGTON, Ind.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Committed to broadening and reinvigorating the field of interventional radiology, Cook Medical today launches its Interventional Radiology Strategic Business Unit (SBU), which will support interventional radiologists who now perform many oncology, non-vascular and venous procedures in addition to angiographic procedures. The new SBU is dedicated to advancing the field of interventional radiology through significant investments in the development of new medical devices and technologies, which will empower and enable interventional radiologists to improve patient outcomes with skills and procedures best performed in interventional radiology labs.
The field of interventional radiology, which Cook has strongly supported since its inception in the 1960s, has been at the forefront of the medical community in the movement towards image guided, minimally invasive procedures. These procedures have revolutionized medicine by diminishing the need for open surgeries, thereby reducing pain, complication rates and recovery times for patients, while at the same time saving hospitals millions of dollars annually. However, in many cases, interventional radiology is still underutilized around the world. Procedures done in interventional radiology labs have been shown to be more cost-effective and beneficial to patients.
Additionally as the life expectancy of the world’s population continues to rise, cancer is expected to be the number one killer in adults by 2010, according to the World Health Organization. This trend further elevates the importance of interventional radiology technologies, which can utilize embolization, localized delivery of chemotherapy, ablative techniques and other strategies to treat cancer.
“As life expectancies expand and the number of minimally invasive procedures continue to grow, interventional radiologists are becoming an even more integral part of the diagnosis, treatment and management of diseases,” noted John A. Kaufman, M.D., professor of interventional radiology, Dotter Interventional Institute at Oregon Health & Science University and president of the Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR). “The SIR is pleased that Cook has made this commitment to interventional radiology and we look forward to working with them to advance this critical field of medicine.”
As part of an ongoing effort to expand its comprehensive offering of diagnostic and interventional devices, Cook’s Interventional Radiology SBU brings a new level of dedication and focus to a dynamic market that has consistently been on the cutting edge of medicine for the past 30 years. The Interventional Radiology SBU will be launching a number of new medical devices in 2009.
“Cook Medical was one of the first U.S. companies to support interventional radiology as a medical practice in 1963 and we’re proud to be able to offer them a comprehensive suite of products and a dedicated division focused on helping to advance this medical field,” said Dan Sirota, global business leader of Cook Medical’s Interventional Radiology SBU. “The launch of Cook’s Interventional Radiology SBU leverages 46 years of medical device experience, a global manufacturing presence and an unwavering dedication to improving the quality of care for patients.”
About Cook Medical:
Cook Medical was one of the first companies to help popularize interventional medicine, pioneering many of the devices now commonly used worldwide to perform minimally invasive medical procedures. Today, the company integrates device design, biopharma, gene and cell therapy and biotech to enhance patient safety and improve clinical outcomes in the fields of aortic intervention; interventional cardiology; critical care medicine; gastroenterology; radiology, peripheral vascular, bone access and oncology; surgery and soft tissue repair; urology; and assisted reproductive technology, gynecology and high-risk obstetrics. Cook is a past winner of the prestigious Medical Device Manufacturer of the Year Award from Medical Device & Diagnostic Industry magazine. For more information, visit www.cookmedical.com.
Contact:
Cook Medical Marsha Dawes, 812-339-2235, ext. 2750 Public Relations Coordinator Marsha.Dawes@cookmedical.com or Racepoint Group, Inc. Cheri Keith, 781-487-4672 ckeith@racepointgroup.com
