09/12/2022
EnlargeDOHA, Qatar, Dec. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — UK-based manufacturer, Firstkind Ltd (a Sky Medical Technology company) and Al Raya Medical Equipment, exclusive distributor for the geko™ device in Qatar, today announced adoption of the geko™ device by the Internal Medicine Clinic, at the Al Mahmoud Medical Center in Doha, Qatar.
A pioneer in evidence-based advanced care, the Al Mahmoud Medical Center, led by Dr. Mohammad Chikh Atieh, is the first medical clinic in Qatar to adopt the innovative geko™ device for the prevention of VTE and the reduction of edema in all aspects of general surgery, obstetrics and gynaecology.
Venous thromboembolism (VTE), the medical term for blood clots (also known as deep vein thrombosis or DVT), is a preventable medical condition that occurs when a blood clot, which can form in the deep veins of the leg, breaks off and travels through the bloodstream to the heart or the lungs. This causes a blockage called a pulmonary embolism (PE) – a life-threatening complication and a leading cause of maternal death.
In obstetrics, anticoagulant (pharmacological) therapy, although highly effective, carries a bleeding risk associated with maternal patients assessed as high-risk. In cases where drug treatment cannot be prescribed, the guidelines support the use of traditional mechanical pressure, called intermittent airway compression (IPC) — a shoe-like cuff that presses on the legs to move blood.
IPC, however, can reduce patient mobility making it an impractical option, especially for maternity patients who need protection during the few days of its use. IPC also requires training to fit the cuffs properly, and pneumatic pumps are not always readily available. In the absence of an appropriate alternative therapy, patients receive no VTE prophylaxis, and the risk of fatal blood clots remains.
Adoption of the geko™ device is also being used to address the silent burden of edema (the medical term for swelling) for which, currently, few tools are available to treat complications that can hinder wound closure and halt healing.
Dr. Mohammad Chikh Atieh, Consultant Internal Medicine, commented “We have recognized the need for an alternative intervention to combat stasis and edema and are delighted that our patients can now be among the first to benefit from the highly exciting geko™ device – a true hospital-to-home treatment that we can include in all of our specialties, and in particular, pregnancy-related VTE – a major cause of maternal death. While the absolute risk remains relatively low (especially in our units), pregnancy-related VTE affects two out of every 1,000 patients. Venous thromboembolism is five times more common in pregnant women than in non-pregnant women of the same age – increasing 20-fold at 12 weeks postpartum, before returning to normal. The geko™ device has a promising medical future. Daily we explore its wider use to address complications of the lower extremities related to diabetes, venous insufficiency, peripheral neuropathy – and even myocardial infarctions.”
Bernard Ross, founder and CEO of Sky Medical Technology, adds: “We are delighted that Dr. Mohammad Chikh Atieh and his medical team are able to reap the benefits of the clinically proven device. Patients can wear the geko™ device before and after surgery, during antenatal procedures and continue the same level of medical treatment comfortably at home. The practicality and convenience of the geko™ device promotes greater compliance and better patient outcomes, and we thank our distributor partner, Al Raya Medical Equipment in Doha, for their support in the geko™ adoption process, which also delivers cost savings for Al Mahmoud Medical Center.
