Main Line Health surgeon first in Pa. to implant cutting-edge device for challenging colorectal condition
Bryn Mawr, PA — A Main Line Health team has become the first in Pennsylvania to implant a new, cutting-edge device for a challenging condition that causes a painful, sometimes debilitating condition in the rectal area and has long frustrated colorectal surgeons.
Anal fistula is a common affliction characterized by an abnormal passageway that forms from the inside of the anus to the skin outside. Treatment can result in slow healing, often requires repeat procedures and comes with the risk of incontinence.
Philip Pearson, MD, and his surgical team at Bryn Mawr Hospital recently became the first in the state, and among the first nationally, to implant the BioHealx® device. The surgery was done with a quick, minimally invasive procedure.
“Anal fistula is a common disease that no one talks about and is difficult to fix,” said Dr. Pearson, who has been treating patients for nearly 30 years. “We’ve used a gel, a plug and a flap of tissue, but outcomes frequently are unsuccessful. By far, this is the best solution that we’ve ever had to offer. I’m excited about starting to use it for our patients.”
BioHealx is a spiral, barbed absorbable implant that is placed around the fistula tract to close it within the sphincter muscle by bringing tissue edges together. The implant is placed using a preloaded, single-use, disposable delivery device that rotates the implant into the soft tissue surrounding the fistula tract at its source within the sphincter muscle. Once implanted, the device is fully enclosed in tissue and is not exposed to the anorectal canal. The BioHealx device fully absorbs in six to 12 months.
Anal fistulas affect one in 5,000 people worldwide. In the United States, over 90,000 surgeries are performed annually to treat the condition.
Signum Surgical was granted marketing clearance by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the first-of-its-kind medical device in July 2024.
About Main Line Health
Founded in 1985, Main Line Health® is a not-for-profit health system serving the Philadelphia region and beyond. Main Line Health consists of five hospitals, six health centers and over 150 medical practice locations. The System has more than 14,000 employees and over 2,100 employed and independent physicians and advanced practice providers.
At its core are four of the region's most respected acute care hospitals — Lankenau Medical Center, Bryn Mawr Hospital, Paoli Hospital and Riddle Hospital — as well as one of the nation's premier facilities for rehabilitative medicine, Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital. Main Line Health also includes Mirmont Treatment Center for drug and alcohol recovery; Main Line Health HomeCare & Hospice, providing skilled home healthcare, hospice and home infusion services; Main Line Health Centers, primary and specialty care, lab and radiology and other outpatient services located in Broomall, Collegeville, Concordville, Exton, King of Prussia and Newtown Square; and Lankenau Institute for Medical Research, a biomedical research organization.
Main Line Health's medical staff benefits from a collaborative relationship including independent physicians, community healthcare professionals and hospital-based experts from Main Line HealthCare, the employed multi-specialty physician network of Main Line Health.
Main Line Health collaborates with top experts to deliver exceptional specialty care. Through our affiliation with the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, doctors and advanced practice providers care for pediatric patients at select Main Line Health locations, including the neonatal intensive care units at Main Line Health's four acute care hospitals, as well as Bryn Mawr Hospital's Inpatient Pediatric Unit and Emergency Department. Jefferson Health neurosurgeons and neurointerventionalists provide 24/7 specialized care, including neurointervention and lifesaving stroke care, and trauma surgeons provide critical care to our patients. Through our affiliation with Sheppard Pratt — a nonprofit provider of mental health services, substance use, developmental disability and other comprehensive behavioral health support — patients receive compassionate care in a welcoming environment.
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