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| Freedom Octomesh Ventral Hernia System--Courtesy of Insightra Medical |
Insightra Medical has raised $5 million to back its Freedom Octomesh Ventral Hernia System that was cleared by the FDA in May. The Octomesh implant has 8 integrated, radiating arms that are tunneled through the abdominal muscles. This is thought to more effectively hold the implant in place without the need for sutures or hernia tackers, which are suspected culprits in causing post-operative pain.
Octomesh is expected to be used in place of the time-consuming surgical process of suture fixation of sublay and pre-peritoneal hernia implants that are often used to treat ventral hernia.
"The system simplifies and standardizes the well-recognized sublay and retro-rectus approach to ventral hernias," said Insightra Senior Director of Global Marketing Oliver Pokk in a statement. "It has been used for years outside the USA."
In a 5-year follow-up study of 41 patients, Octomesh had no recurrence of ventral hernia with 37 patients reporting that they are pain free and the remainder having "very little to some pain."
The company already markets a handful of products aimed at improving hernia repair patient outcomes, as well as for general surgical use. Founded in 2001, Insightra counts Baird Venture Capital and PaintBrush Capital Advisors among its investors. According to its SEC filings, it has raised a total of about $20 million.
Octomesh "offers surgeons who are used to fixating common flat-sheet mesh with an easier, faster and reproducible way to position the mesh for ventral hernia. In fact, the presence of the straps facilitates the procedure and self-fixation of the implant, with great stability and a wrinkle-free placement," summed up Professor Giampiero Campanelli in a statement. He is the president of the World Hernia Conference, which recently had its first annual meeting in Milan, Italy and he is also the creator of an Octomesh implantation video.
- here is the SEC filing
- and the May statement on the Octomesh FDA clearance