Via Surgical
Delivering Next-Generation Solution for Hernia Repair Surgery

It was in 2009 when Lena Levin, Arik Levy, and Ofek Levin, winners of Biztec07, Israel National Entrepreneurship Competition, embarked on a journey to transform traditional laparoscopic hernia repair surgery. The trio founded Polytouch Medical and developed a device for the precise and rapid deployment and placement of mesh during laparoscopic soft tissue repair procedures. The company was acquired by Covidien [NYSE: COV], one of the leading global provider of healthcare products, in 2011. This prompted the team to lay the foundation for another company called Via Surgical in 2012 that provides next-generation fixation for hernia repair. Realizing that in spite of several advancements in the approach to hernia repair, a majority of surgeons are still operating on it in an old fashion way by using multiple means for mesh fixation—anchor/helical hernia tacks, manually applied transfascial sutures. To this end, Via Surgical developed FasTouch system that enables an automated lockable surgical mesh fixation, which is strong and stable, yet efficiently and consistently deployed. “We are the only provider of minimal invasive mesh-positioning device today for greater accuracy and shorter procedure time, making patient’s journey pain-free and infection-free,” says Lena Levin, Co-founder, and CFO at Via Surgical.

With its lightweight deployable sutures, FasTouch provides an all-inclusive hernia mesh fixation for hernia repair. The device copies traditional sutures and provides a closed and locked fixation loop around the mesh and the tissue, which minimizes the risk of dislodgement and reduces the chance of hernia recurrences. Designed like hernia sutures, delivered like hernia tacks, the revolutionary FasTouch also minimizes the amount of implanted foreign body, which contributes to a total thirty percent reduction in overall implanted foreign body material while reducing foreign body response, postoperative pain and chronic pain.

Besides, the device provides a reloadable, cartridge-based system that delivers up to 25 tacks per cartridge.

We are the only provider of minimal invasive mesh-positioning device today for greater accuracy and shorter procedure time, making patient’s journey pain-free and infection-free

With the system reloadable cartridge platform, FasTouch discourages surgeons from opening a new cartridge every time during the procedure, significantly reducing the cost. “We are also planning to provide surgeons with a variety of cartridge offerings for different surgical procedures while reducing the expenditure,” mentions Lena.

Via Surgical has recently received FDA clearance to commercialize FasTouch after a number of pre-clinical studies have been conducted to test the result of the device. Several renowned doctors took part in the study, and all of them are praising it. One of them is Amy Banks- Venegoni, MD, Minimally- Invasive Surgery Fellow, Baystate Medical Center Assistant Professor of Surgery, Tufts University School of Medicine. She says that there are a lot of patients who suffer from hernia problem and they need a device that fixes the mesh without causing any pain. The market is full of other devices, but they are either using a screw or stapling it into the abdominal wall, but FasTouch acts like a suture. “Just using FasTouch was exciting, it was effortless to use and also if you need to remove it that is also very easy. You just need an endoscopic scissor to take it out. This is the future, and I would like to use this in a clinical situation,” adds Amy.

Via Surgical is planning to launch FasTouch commercially in the U.S. market in May, which will be exclusively distributed in the region by Progressive Medical Inc. The company also intends to expand its operations across the world. “We are very excited to help surgeons in becoming better and patients suffer less,” concludes Lena.