A research team including UCSF pediatric surgeons Dr. Olajire Idowu and Dr. Sunghoon Kim has been awarded a grant to support commercialization of the "Prolapse Whisperer", a novel medical device to treat and prevent recurrent stomal prolapse. Stomal prolapse occurs when the bowel near the stoma, a surgically created intestinal opening, intussuscepts from within causing possible bowel obstruction and ischemia (restriction in blood supply to tissues). Current treatments include manual reduction by force or a surgical procedure. Unfortunately, neither is durable and additional recurrences are common.
The research team also includes UCSF medical device engineer Dr. Mohammad Sahlabadi and San Jose State University bioengineer Dr. Folarin Erogbogbo. The device was presented at the UCSF-Stanford Pediatric Device Consortium (PDC) Accelerator Shark Tank 2020. UCSF Professor Emeritus Dr. Michael Harrison is the principal investigator for the UCSF PDC.
Today, there are approximately 500,000 patients in the US living with stomas with the incidence of new stomal prolapse estimated at 100,000 per year, a condition affecting both pediatric and adult patients. Prolpase Whisperer holds out the promise of fulfilling a distinct unmet medical need. The grant money from the PDC will help support commercialization of the device by finalizing product design and obtaining FDA approval.
Written by Richard Barg
