Company aiming to bring hope to the rising number of obese patients in US

Leeds-based keyhole surgery specialist Surgical Innovations is trying to save them by helping to curb their appetites.

Many of the company's senior managers are attending an event in the US which could lead to bigger sales of LogiFlex, a device that helps surgeons to fit gastric bands on obese patients.

Surgical Innovations is among a group of British companies who are exhibiting in the British pavilion at the three-day Federation of International Medical Equipment (FIME) conference which runs until tomorrow in Miami, Florida.

FIME is the biggest international healthcare event in the States, and attracts more than 30,000 visitors from the US, Canada and central America.

It is the first time the UK has had a pavilion at the show. The British companies attending the conference hope to meet potential US distributors and business partners.

Surgical Innovations believes the event will raise the profile of LogiFlex, a laparoscopic device which recently received regulatory approval from the US Food and Drug Administration.

LogiFlex, which is designed and manufactured by Surgical Innovations, uses both reusable and disposable elements to offer American surgeons a cost-effective way of treating overweight patients.

Graham Bowland, the chief executive of Surgical Innovations, said: "We are looking forward to further enhancing our relationships with partners and laparoscopic surgeons from across the US. Export activities are a key growth area within our business, and the US and Latin America are key target markets. We are looking forward to developing new business opportunities in this region."

It is estimated that 250,000 anti-obesity procedures are performed annually in the US, where obesity affects more than 60 million people. Obesity is the second largest cause of preventable death in the US.

In May, Prime Minister David Cameron toured Surgical Innovations' base in Leeds, after setting out the Government's strategy to promote economic growth during a visit to Shipley, near Bradford.

Mr Cameron was shown around the business, which has around 100 workers, and watched through a window as employees worked on components in sterile clean rooms.

He was then taken around

the manufacturing facility, where staff explained various pieces of machinery used in their work.

Professor Mike McMahon, a director, said he believed the Prime Minister had companies such as Surgical Innovations in mind when he was thinking about the future of Britain.

The UK Pavilion at FIME is being organised by Medilink Yorkshire and Humberand

UK Trade & Investment

(UKTI), the government department that helps UK-based companies to achieve success overseas.

Charlotte Fraser, Medilink's international manager and UKTI's regional sector specialist, said: "FIME offers companies the perfect opportunity to develop new business leads and meet potential distributors from across the Americas.

"Working alongside UKTI, companies can gain the right support to enter the US market and take the first step to trading with this global region.

"The UK medical technology sector has 2,771 companies generating 10.6bn of turnover.

"It has a large proportion of the world's most innovative medical technology SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises), multinationals and leading research and development centres."

Medilink Yorkshire & Humber provides a range of specialist consultancy services.

It provides advice for hi-tech Yorkshire businesses about the best ways of finding customers overseas.

It also enables national and international companies to forge ties with the region's medical sector.

These links can revolve around medical research and commercial opportunities.

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