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Democratizing placement of endoluminal negative pressure devices for gastrointestinal leaks

A standardized, low-complexity deployment platform for endoluminal VAC therapy in gastrointestinal leak management.

Project Overview

Anastomotic leaks are serious postoperative complications in which surgically connected sections of the gastrointestinal tract fail and leak. Vacuum-assisted closure (VAC) therapy, originally developed for external wounds, has been successfully adapted for internal GI defects and can achieve healing in approximately 90% of cases without additional surgery when deployed endoscopically via the mouth or anus. However, current GI VAC therapy is limited by the need for advanced endoscopic skills and a labor-intensive placement process. This project aims to develop a streamlined deployment system that simplifies GI VAC placement, reduces reliance on specialized expertise, and enables broader adoption by surgeons.

Team Picture

Simon Fetherston, Yeanne Hwang, Maria Smeeding, Evelyn Mikkelson
Simon Fetherston, Yeanne Hwang, Maria Smeeding, Evelyn Mikkelson

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Progress Reports

Contact Information

Team Members

Advisor and Client

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