New York, February 14, 2008 – Jamaicans are soon to benefit from a new, non-invasive treatment for what is generally referred to as pelvic floor dysfunction (pfd). The revolutionary medical approach is being marketed by Neocontrol Systems, a US Food & Drug Administration-approved entity.
Since gaining U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval in 1998, Neocontrol Systems have provided more than 1.5 million treatments in 53 countries and 46 U.S. states.
Introduced to locals last month, the technology will be officially launched in Jamaica at an all-day Urology Conference on Sunday, February 24, 2008, at the Island Cinema on St. Lucia Avenue in the New Kingston area of the nation’s capital city, Kingston.
Developed in collaboration with Emory University School of Medicine and the Georgia Institute of Technology, Neocontrol uses pulsed magnetic fields to treat pelvic floor dysfunction (pfd) in men and women non-invasively, without even the need to remove clothing. Headquartered in the Atlanta suburb of Marietta, Neotonus Inc. develops, manufactures and markets medical devices for the treatment and management of neuromuscular disorders.
According to Sydney C. Stephens, Sales Executive with Neotonus Inc, and Project Manager for the Caribbean, the Neocontrol therapy system is the first clinical device to use extracorporeal magnetic innervation technology for pelvic floor muscle stimulation.
“The success of Neocontrol in the United States and Europe has encouraged us to increase our presence in the global marketplace,” said Neotonus’ Chief Operating Officer Jordan Morris. “We have already received approval to market this product in Canada, South America, Asia and Europe, and launching this product in Jamaica brings us closer to our goal of eventually being the first-line treatment for incontinence in every corner of the world.”
Morris, one of a list of presenters at the February 24, 2008 conference will discuss the company’s overview as it relates to the revolutionary treatment technique.
Neocontrol therapy is administered in a physician’s office or rehabilitation facility. Fully clothed, the patient simply sits in a comfortable armchair that has the magnetic technology embedded in the seat. The powerful, pulsating magnetic fields—controlled by a small adjacent power unit—induce muscle contractions in the pelvic floor to build strength and endurance and increase circulation. Nothing touches the patient’s skin. He or she feels only her muscles tighten and relax as they are exercised. Patients report no pain.
Neocontrol has been the subject of more than 100 clinical trials around the world, with more than 40 published or peer-reviewed. Data from clinical studies at the Cleveland Clinic and at sites in Chicago, Philadelphia and Orlando indicate that of 76 subjects who completed eight weeks of NEOCONTROL therapy (twice-weekly sessions of 20 minutes each), 50 percent reported being “completely dry” and 80 percent reported “significant improvement” in their conditions.
Stephens noted that when asked to evaluate their quality of life as it relates to two factors – absorbent pad changes per day and episodes of leakage per day – patients ranked their satisfaction at 46 percent before entering the study. The figure jumped to 76 percent after eight weeks of treatment.
According to the Jamaica Cancer Registry, prostate cancer has been the most common cancer in Jamaican men for the past 20 years and age-specific incidence rates have increased from 15/100,000 in 1958–63 to 56.4/100,000 in 1993–97. Removal of the prostate, or prostatectomy, is the most common treatment, which typically causes incontinence and/or impotence in the patient post-surgery.
Dr. Niall Galloway, medical director of the Emory Continence Center at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, said, “Neocontrol should be the first step in treating patients with incontinence. It is preferable to other treatment methods because it is not invasive, uncomfortable or fraught with unpleasant side effects.
The Urology Conference will also hear from Dr. Devon Osbourne, whose private practice in Portmore, one of Jamaica’s fastest growing municipalities, is the only facility offering the treatment to date. Dr. Osbourne will address the conference on his clinical findings among patients under his care.
Further information about Neocontrol therapy is available or by visiting the website at www.neocontrol.com.
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