3M Co is making it third acquisition in less than a month by proposing to buy Arizant, a maker of patient warming products to prevent hypothermia during surgery, for $810 million in cash. Its products include Bair Hugger therapy, the Bair Paws patient adjustable warming system, and the Ranger blood and fluid warming systems. Arizant products help maintain normal body temperature, known as normothermia which help prevent surgical site infections.

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NiTi Surgical Solutions showcased new, investigational bowel anastomosis device at the American College of Surgeons (ACS) 95th Annual Clinical Congress. The device, which will be marketed as BowelRing, represents the company`s next advancement in its innovative BioDynamix Anastomosis Technology platform. NiTi`s unique line of products utilizes Nitinol-based elements to press together the ends of resected tissue, enabling natural reconnection and healing after removing a section as part of a surgery.

Older patients with peptic ulcer hemorrhage who had upper endoscopy within one day of presentation fared better than counterparts who had the procedure later, a national population-based study found. Early endoscopy was independently associated with a lower likelihood of surgery, according to Gregory S. Cooper, MD, and colleagues from the Case Medical Center in Cleveland.

Findings from recently held two studies reveal that adalimumab reduces the risk of hospitalization as well as major surgery in patients suffering from Crohn’s disease (CD). The year long phase 3 trial (named CHARM) found that adalimumab was effective in improving the condition of patients with Crohn’s disease. There was a reduction in hospitalizations by half. Moreover, majority of Crohn’s disease patients undergo surgery. The results of the trial showed surgeries related to CD were reduced by as much as 90% in patients receiving adalimumab as compared to those receiving placebo. This makes the drug a cost-effective solution to the disorder. The study received support in the form of industry grants from Abbott Laboratories.

Israeli company MCS Medical Compression Systems has come up with a non-invasive device, ActiveCare+SFT, which supports blood circulation in the limbs, thereby preventing deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Formation of blood clots deep inside the body can have dangerous consequences. Thus, it has become a major concern for the surgeons. Anticoagulants prevent clot formation, but increase bleeding risk. The mobile system has compression sleeves which can be wrapped around the foot of the patient during the surgery. Identifying the blood flow in the veins of the patient, the device synchronizes its functioning to the natural rhythm.

Mazor Surgical Technologies has received CE Mark Certification for its DiscAssist guidance and positioning system for disc replacement surgery. DiscAssist helps doctors to plan the appropriate size and placement of artificial discs in interverteberal disc replacement surgery. The company aims at filing for FDA approval in the US and expected to receive the same by the end of 2008.