Monitoring System Protects Nerves During Surgery

Fast, accurate and easy to use, the system gives the surgeon real-time feedback regarding the location and integrity of otherwise invisible nerves during RP. The ProPep Nerve Monitoring System consists of the Pep Monitor, which generates the specific electrical signal used to stimulate the tissue of interest, and records, analyzes, and displays the tissues response to that signal.

The Pep Control Switch enables the surgeon to switch the robotic bipolar instrument from bipolar/cautery mode to Pep stimulation mode and back again, since the electrical stimulation signal generated by the Pep Monitor is delivered through the surgeon’s robotic bipolar surgical instrument, eliminating the need to introduce a separate stimulation probe into the surgical field. Using the PrPep in simulation mode enables the surgeon to distinguish between nerve containing versus non-nerve-containing tissue.

The Pep Electrode Kit is a single use, disposable kit that contains the Pep Electrode and the Pep Electrode Introducer. The Pep Electrode is connected to the Pep Monitor and introduced into the surgical field via the Pep Electrode Introducer. The electrodes are placed into the levator ani muscle proximal to the urethral sphincter on either side of the prostate and a ground electrode is placed into the external abdominal wall. The ProPep Nerve Monitoring System is a product of ProPep Surgical (Austin, TX, USA), and has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

“One of the biggest fears about prostate cancer surgery is the potential for nerve damage. To reduce the side effects associated with this nerve damage, the surgeon must do two things; spare the nerve tissue, and not damage the nerve tissue while sparing it,” said Randy Fagin, MD, chief medical advisor of ProPep.

“Currently, surgeons rely on anatomic landmarks to identify nerves during surgery but research has shown these landmarks are not always reliable, even if you successfully spare the nerve tissue.”

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