Sector Watch: Laparoscopic surgery

One of the hottest trends in medicine today is minimally invasive surgeries - procedures using laparoscopic devices and remote controlled instruments to minimize surgical incisions and reduce trauma, pain and scarring for the patient. Minimally invasive surgeries also result in fewer post-surgical complications, shorter hospital stays and in some cases, outpatient treatment.

These techniques may also be used in interventional procedures such as angioplasty, which typically involves threading flexible catheters through arteries to reach the treatment area and clear blockages. Millions of minimally invasive diagnostic and therapeutic medical procedures are performed worldwide each year. 

Many cardiac surgeries are performed today using minimally invasive techniques. Instead of the traditional method of cutting through the breastbone to gain access to the heart, surgeons are using endoscopes and specially designed instruments inserted through a small opening in the chest to perform the same procedure. Balloon angioplasty as a treatment for blocked arteries was developed in the 1980s. About 600,000 of these procedures are performed annually in the United States. With further technology advances, minimally invasive procedures will soon become an option for another 300,000 patients undergoing heart defect repair surgeries each year.

These techniques have greatly improved treatment options for cerebral aneurysms, which are bulging arteries in the brain. Left untreated, these bulges can rupture, resulting in  catastrophic brain injury or even death. Repairs are made by inserting a catheter into the femoral artery, which is then threaded through the arterial system into the brain and ultimately the opening of the aneurysm. According to the American Heart Association, about 700,000 strokes occur annually in the United States; many of these may be caused by cerebral aneurysms. Industry sources indicate the worldwide market for treating aneurysms was between $400 million and $500 million in 2006. 

Two small caps poised to benefit are Hansen Medical, Inc. (Nasdaq: HNSN) and Micrus Endovascular Corp. (Nasdaq: MEND).

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