Kinetic Concepts to showcase its ABThera OA NPT System at the American College of Surgeons Congress

Kinetic Concepts, Inc. (NYSE: KCI) will feature ABThera™ Open Abdomen Negative Pressure Therapy System, the latest addition to the KCI Negative Pressure Technology Platform (NPTP), at the American College of Surgeons’ 95^th Annual Clinical Congress, Oct. 11-15 in Chicago.

Available nationwide, ABThera is an easy-to-use system designed to assist surgeons in the management and treatment of the open abdomen while helping to achieve primary fascial closure.

“This is the first comprehensive technology dedicated to open abdomen disease pathology, demonstrating excellent ease of use and material integrity,” said Grant Bocchiccio, M.D., chief of Shock Trauma at the University of Maryland. “The ABThera System is easy to apply and can enhance a surgeon's application speed in regards to temporary abdominal closure. Immediate placement of the ABThera System, combined with fluid management, has the potential to increase the abdominal closure rate and provides patients with a better chance at healing.”

KCI will host an investigator meeting to initiate a multicenter observational study comparing ABThera OA NPT System to the Barker Vacuum Packing Technique. Enrollment opens Nov 2009 and will involve 18 centers nationwide, including:

• Shock Trauma at the University of Maryland, Dr. Grant Bocchiccio
• Orlando Regional Medical Center, Dr. Michael Cheatham
• Regional Medical Center/University of Tennessee-Memphis, Dr. Timothy Fabian
• Albert Einstein Medical Center, Dr. Mark Kaplan
• University of Southern California/Los Angeles County, Dr. Demetrios Demetriades

KCI will additionally host a symposium with Dr. Mark Kaplan, Dr. Rao Ivatury and Prof. Gary Nieman discussing the use of ABThera OA NPT System entitled, “Latest Perspectives in Management of the Open Abdomen.” The symposium will be held Monday, Oct. 12, 7 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. in McCormick Place West, W-190 AB, Level 1 at the McCormick Place Convention Center.

The ABThera OA NPT System is featured at booth 1107 during the conference.

“We are excited about the product launch and corresponding clinical study that promises to bring to the marketplace evidence about the ABThera OA NPT System,” said Mike Genau, KCI Global President, Wound Therapy. “KCI will continue our practice of supporting physician’s evidence based medicine practices while providing access to the most advanced clinical therapies for our patients and clinicians.”