The introduction during the last decades of new surgical procedures, new devices and new implants, has sometimes resulted in significant morbidity that could have been prevented if effective preclinical trials were conducted. POWER (formerly the Pelvic Foundation of South Africa - PFFSA) has a strong collaboration with a university facility that is specialised to perform research.
The facility is approved to perform surgery, and POWER has their own operating room at this facility, which is about 14 km outside of Stellenbosch. POWER has extensive experience with research studies, and is keen to use this knowledge for additional projects , in any field. Surgeons in South Africa are extremely well trained, and have a high case-load, meaning that they perform more surgery than the average surgeons worldwide.
As a result, the clinical evaluation of innovative surgical procedures and new devices, is well placed in South Africa. POWER has performed clinical studies in the field of urogynaecology, but has the infrastructure and ambition to also organise clinical studies in other fields of surgery.
• Performed first in man Elevate (American Medical Systems) (Transvaginal Meshfor POP surgery) and performed procedure in 35 countries
• Co-developer of Saffron fixation device
• Developer of innovative tests to objectify vaginal physiology
• PI of 522 studies on vagina bench (involved in FDA committee hearings)
• CTO of Azurabio - new biomaterial for pelvic floor restoration
• Performed first in man P4HB for surgical treatment of stress urinary incontinence in 20 women in Cape Town
• Developed ovine model to research surgical treatment of vesicovaginal fistula
• Developed ovine model to research laparoscopic sacrocolpopexy
• Fist to perform vaginal laser in ovariectomized sheep.
• First robotic sacrocolpopexy in South Africa (Da Vinci)
• First to perform thermosensitive hydrogel in animal model for POP
• Involved in first in man post-partum haemorrhage research
• Performed first in man Steema procedure in South Africa
• Part of first in man multi-center study to evaluate Nuvia (single incision transvaginal mesh)
• Co-investigator of first in man transvaginal embolization of fibroids solution
• Validation of an ovine vesicovaginal fistula model. (Maljaars, L.P., Jeffery, S.T., Scholten, M., Kaestner, L., Jere, K., Bezuidenhout, D., Guler, Z. and Roovers, J.-P.W.R. (2022). International Urogynecology Journal, [online] 33(11), pp.3185–3193.)
• The effect of CO2 laser therapy on vaginal microcirculatory parameters in an animal model for genitourinary syndrome of menopause. Neurourol Urodyn. 2023 Aug ;42(6):1381-1389 - Latul YP, Vodegel EV, Kastelein AW, Alkemade L, Ras L, Hilty MP, Favaron E, Ince Y, Ince C, Jeffery S, Guler Z, Roovers JWR.
• Safety and efficacy report for the use of poly-4-hydroxybutyrate as a retropubic mid-urethral sling for stress urinary incontinence. J Minim Invasive Gynecol. 2023 Nov 18:S1553-4650(23)00971-8. Van Rest KLC, Kastelein AW, Brouard KJ, Ras L, Jeffery ST, Roovers JWR.
2024 Thesis by Maljaars, L.P - "Surgical care and innovation for vesicovaginal Fistula"
Publication date: 2024
Document Version: Final published version
Surgical care and innovation for vesicovaginal fistula
Maljaars, L.P.
Publication date: 2024
Document Version: Final published version
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