When surgeons remove a segment of someone’s intestine – an operation known as an anastomosis – they typically reconnect the healthy ends of the tube using staples, or with stitches known as sutures.
PLIO Surgical is developing a magnetic implant to make that repair easier and more effective. Two magnetic rings attach to the internal surfaces of the remaining tubes, then clasp together to reconnect them.
“Both hand-sewn and surgical stapling procedures involve penetrating tissue, thus invoking inflammation and damage to the surrounding tissue, which can cause leaks at the anastomotic site and other adverse events,” says PLIO Surgical chief executive and co-founder Cristina Purtill.
“The Plio implant does not penetrate the tissue, the anchors only grip the inside mucosal layer, and in pre-clinical studies, the Plio anastomosis was shown to be softer and more compliant than stapling in terms of general appearance and histology.”
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What happens when the implant is no longer needed? It exits the patient naturally, leaving a repaired intestine in its wake.
PLIO Surgical is a spin-out from Trinity College Dublin, and it intends to target surgeries for colon cancer initially, then potentially other applications, including Crohn’s disease and bariatric surgery.
The hope is that it will mean that patients experience less pain, quicker healing and better outcomes overall, according to Ms Purtill.
