A Medical Device Daily

W.L. Gore & Associates (Flagstaff, Arizona) yesterday reported that it will no longer sell or market products in the plastic surgery market.

It said the decision is limited to all Gore Subcutaneous Augmentation Material (GORE S.A.M.) products, including Trimensional 3-D implant extended chin, nasal dorsum and malar, sheets, sutures for plastic surgery applications, facial slings and strands.

“This decision was made after careful consideration of our ability to continue to create and deliver value in this market,” said Dick Winkelmayer, business associate. “Our strategic focus will be in the cardiovascular and general surgical specialties.” He said that plastic surgery is no longer core to its future business.

The company said that to give customers time to consult with their healthcare providers and transition to alternatives, it will take orders until the end of the 2006, and Gore S.A.M. orders will be shipped through April 2007, “subject to inventory availability.”

Gore says that products in its medical division have been implanted in 18 million procedures. Its products include vascular grafts, endovascular and interventional devices, surgical meshes for hernia repair and sutures for use in vascular, cardiac and general surgery.