First MUSE Procedure Performed in China By Leading

OMER, ISRAEL--(Marketwired - Mar 9, 2017) - Medigus Ltd. ( NASDAQ : MDGS ) ( TASE : MDGS ), a medical device company developing minimally invasive endosurgical tools and a leader in direct visualization technology, announced the completion of the first MUSE procedure in China. The procedure was performed by Professor Rong Wan, Department of Gastroenterology, Shanghai First People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China. Prof Wan reported that the procedure was successful, with the patient encountering minimal discomfort during the procedure. The patient has since been released from the hospital, with no procedural complications. 

The MUSE system is a single-use flexible transoral stapler that merges the latest advancements in microvisual, ultrasonic and surgical stapling. The device comes equipped with an ultrasonic sight and range finder and a micro ScoutCam™ CMOS camera, which enables a single physician to perform an incisionless transoral fundoplication -- the procedure intended to treat the anatomical cause of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Since the device doesn't require any incisions, patients generally report greater comfort during procedure and experience reduced hospital stays by up to 50% over invasive fundoplication procedures.

While GERD is already prevalent worldwide, evidence suggests an increase in GERD prevalence since 1995, particularly in North America and East Asia.[i]MUSE has the potential to improve GERD-related quality of life for many of them by addressing the root cause of the disorder, not just offering symptom relief, which many drug therapies do.

"With the completion of our first-in-man MUSE procedure in China we are looking forward to working with leading GIs across the country to implement this procedure and uniquely address the existing gap in GERD treatment between drug therapy and invasive laparoscopic procedures," said Chris Rowland, CEO of Medigus. "We are honored to partner with Professor Rong Wan, a leading gastroenterologist in Shanghai, who continues to be at the forefront of innovation and sees the potential to offer a less-invasive and more cost-effective option to patients, physicians and the healthcare system."

About MUSE ™ The MUSE system is a leading technology in Natural Orifice Endoscopic Surgery procedures. The single operator system performs anterior partial fundoplication with standard surgical staples in a less invasive way, compared to other surgical procedures. Its intuitive endosurgical platform consists of a single use flexible surgical endostapler, equipped with a proprietary miniature camera, an ultrasonic sight and a range finder. The endostapler, which resembles an endoscope, is designed to be operated by a single user, includes a handle with controls, an 80cm flexible shaft, a 5cm rigid section holding a cartridge with 5 standard 4.8mm titanium surgical staples, a ratchet controlled one-way articulating section, and a distal tip. The MUSE system is FDA cleared and CE marked and has obtained the necessary licenses to market the product in Canada, Israel and Turkey.

About Medigus Medigus is a medical device company specializing in developing minimally invasive endosurgical tools and highly innovative imaging solutions. They are the pioneer developer of the MUSE™ system, an FDA cleared and CE marked endoscopic device to perform Transoral Fundoplication (TF) for the treatment of GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease), one of the most common chronic conditions in the world. In 2016, the CMS established the Category I CPT® Code of 43210 for TF procedures, such as the ones performed with MUSE, which establishes reimbursement values for physicians and hospitals. MUSE is gaining adoption in key markets around the world - it is available in world-leading healthcare institutions in the U.S., Europe and Israel. Medigus is also in the process of obtaining regulatory clearance in China. Medigus is traded on the Nasdaq Capital Market and the TASE (Tel-Aviv Stock Exchange). To learn more about the company's advanced technology, please visit www.medigus.com or www.RefluxHelp.com .

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[i] Gut. 2014 Jun;63(6):871-80. doi: 10.1136/gutjnl-2012-304269. Epub 2013 Jul 13.