Sky Medical Technology Supports Mission Trip to Improve Access to Orthopaedic Care in Honduras

Donation of innovative bioelectronic geko™ devices, for impoverished patients, to prevent post-surgical blood clots and swelling after knee replacement surgery

DARESBURY, England, Dec. 18, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- UK-based medical devices company, Sky Medical Technology Ltd has donated geko™ devices to prevent post-surgical blood clots and swelling to One World Surgery and Walk South, an all-volunteer medical humanitarian team based in Atlanta, Georgia. Through life-changing knee replacement surgeries, the teams mission trip to Honduras has given the gift of walking to 41 deserving citizens, at no cost to the patient or their families.

Sky's donation of geko™ devices was made through Atlanta based CrossLink Orthopaedics, who generously donated all surgical implants and materials needed to provide full peri-operative care.

Expressing their gratitude a spokesperson for the mission trip said, "This is an annual medical relief effort, with the hope that we can provide a sustainable answer to the lack of opportunity for total joint replacement surgery for the citizens of Honduras. Without the support of CrossLink Orthopaedics a trip of this magnitude would be impossible. It is through their generosity that the lives of Hondurans have been transformed, in what was previously bleak circumstances."

"I ask you to imagine waking up, every step painful, making your way to the city bus stop on foot, with a family member willing to take the next 6 hour bus trip with you. Once you arrive at your destination, you are met with the smiling faces of several Americans, dressed in scrubs. Strangers to both you and your family member, and speaking different languages, you communicate with the help of a translator. Soon, you are dressed in a hospital gown, an IV is started, and you are whisked away to a brightly lit operating room, ready to put your hope and trust in the willing and able hands of an orthopaedic surgeon. Though his face is unfamiliar, he is about to give you your life back. This is a snapshot of many of the lives of the deserving Hondurans that received a total knee replacement (TKR) in October due to the joint partnership of One World Surgery and Walk South."

"Our thanks also go to Sky Medical Technology. This was the first time many of our clinicians have had the opportunity to administer the geko™ device, and we are very appreciative. The devices are easy to apply, incredibly well-tolerated by patients and effective in preventing VTE and the build-up of swelling at the knee. The devices have played a key role in our effort to provide TKR surgery aftercare for the poorest citizens of Honduras."

Sky Medical Technology CEO Bernard Ross commented: "Our thanks go to CrossLink Orthopaedics for bringing this enormously important relief effort to our attention and for the opportunity to contribute to the gift of mobility. One World Surgery and Walk South is transforming lives of Hondurans and we are proud that the geko™ device can be part of this. Partnership makes us who we are. Through local partnerships we work with healthcare professionals to solve challenges that are recognised worldwide."

The geko™ device is a non-invasive, easy to use, wearable therapy device. The size of a wristwatch and worn at the knee, the daily disposable device gently stimulates the common peroneal nerve activating the calf and foot muscle pumps, resulting in increased blood flow in the deep veins of the calf. The geko™ device operates without external pressure to the leg and allows complete mobility. A recent geko™ study has reported zero blood clots in patients at high-risk of VTE^[1].

Sky have U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) 510(k) clearances to market the geko™ device for immediate post-surgical stimulation of calf muscles to prevent VTE, increasing blood circulation and edema reduction. Recent FDA clearance also includes: stimulation of the calf muscles to prevent venous thrombosis in non-surgical patients at risk for venous thromboembolism (VTE). The geko™ device is the first bioelectronic muscle pump activator of its kind to be cleared by the FDA for VTE prevention across all patients including non-surgical patients.

The company is headquartered in the UK and backed by leading international investors in both healthcare and technology.

About Sky Medical Technology Ltd and Firstkind Ltd

Sky Medical Technology, the parent of Firstkind Ltd, is a UK-based medical devices company. Through its innovative mechanism of non-invasive neuromuscular electrostimulation, Sky has developed a ground-breaking bioelectronic medicine therapy, OnPulse™, embedded in its industry-leading product, the geko™ device. The company develops a range of products tailored to the needs of different medical application areas, selling both direct and through strategic partnerships or distributors in each major clinical area. Focus application areas include life threatening blood clots, complications related to swelling after orthopaedic surgery and slow healing wounds. The goal in each pathway is to partner with healthcare professionals to improve clinical outcomes and patient care whilst saving health system resources.

About CrossLink Orthopaedics

CrossLink Life Sciences, LLC is the largest private orthopaedic and spine device distributorship in the United States. Over the past 35+ years, CrossLink has built a world class specialty sales organization, formed lasting partnerships with the world's foremost medical device innovators, and provided superior service to world renowned healthcare providers with a foundational goal of improving patient outcomes.

About One World Surgery

One World Surgery is dedicated to providing world-class surgical and primary care to underserved communities, as well as empowering volunteers to make a positive impact on global health. Their committed is to sustainability, education, and collaboration with community partners.

One World Surgery organizes surgical and primary care missions to its facility in Honduras, the Holy Family Surgery Center. Medical missions take place during scheduled dates and specialties are pre-assigned. Most are weeklong missions (Saturday to Saturday).

Reference:

1. The use of the geko™ device and the activation of the foot and calf pumps for prevention of venous thromboembolism in patients with acute stroke. Author(s): Williams J, Roffe C, Natarajan I, Moss C, Lambert C, Richards L.

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To learn more about the geko™ device and using this device in the U.S., please contact Mark Sacaris at mark.sacaris@firstkindmedical.com or at +1-760-815-6474. Please also visit the geko™ website at: www.gekodevices.com.