Surgical Innovations Regulatory News (SUN)

2 Oct 2007 07:01

Surgical Innovations Group PLC02 October 2007 Press Release 2 October 2007 Surgical Innovations Group plc ("SI" or "the Group") Appointment of Non-Executive Clinical Director Surgical Innovations Group plc (AIM: SUN), the designer and manufacturer ofinnovative surgical devices, announces that Professor Michael John McMahon, aglobal pioneer in minimally invasive surgery, has been appointed to the GroupBoard as Non-Executive Clinical Director with immediate effect. One of Professor McMahon's key roles will be to chair Surgical Innovations' newClinical Advisory Board which has been established to further enhance theGroup's links with leading minimally invasive ('keyhole' or 'laparoscopic')surgeons around the world. Professor McMahon holds a Chair in Surgery at the University of Leeds and isConsultant Surgeon at the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. He is currentlyPresident of the Association of Laparoscopic Surgeons of Great Britain andIreland (ALS), and was recently a Royal College of Surgeons' tutor in minimallyinvasive surgery. Past roles include President of the Pancreatic Society ofGreat Britain and Ireland and Chairman of the Education Committee of theEuropean Association of Endoscopic Surgery. Notably, Professor McMahon developed a new technique for the laparoscopicremoval of the gall bladder and he was the first surgeon in the UK to carry outa laparoscopic gastric by-pass. He introduced the operation of the sleevegastrectomy as a stand-alone procedure for the treatment of obesity andestablished the Leeds Institute for Minimally Invasive Therapy (LIMIT). Commenting on the appointment, Chairman Doug Liversidge, said: "ProfessorMcMahon's new role and the establishment of the Clinical Advisory Board willconsiderably enhance our international relationships with leading surgeons.This two way outreach not only complements the links already forged by our salesteam and distributors, but will also speed up our product development programmefor resposableTM instruments as we pool fresh ideas from hospitals around theworld. "Professor McMahon's in-depth experience of the operating theatre and hiscontacts within the field of minimally invasive surgery are second to none,whilst his involvement in the teaching of laparoscopic techniques is vital inencouraging the ongoing uptake of innovative surgical devices. It is with greatpleasure that we welcome a true pioneer onto the Surgical Innovations GroupBoard where, as co-founder of Surgical Innovations Limited in 1992, he inventedour Endoflex device which is still regarded as one of the best retractorsavailable today." Regulatory Information Professor McMahon, aged 65, was previously a director of Surgical InnovationsLimited between February 1992 and June 2007. There are no further disclosuresrequired under Rule 17 and Schedule 2(g) of the AIM Rules for Companies. Professor McMahon holds 9,801,934 Ordinary Shares in the Company, representingapproximately 2.62 per cent of the issued share capital. In addition he holdsshare options as follows: No of shares under option Exercise price: Exercise period: 1,000,000 3p November 2003 to November 2010 1,000,000 2p April 2004 to June 2011 - Ends - For further information:Surgical Innovations Group plcGraham Bowland, Finance Director Tel: +44 (0) 113 230 7597graham.bowland@surginno.co.uk www.sigroupplc.com Hanson Westhouse LimitedTim Feather / Matthew Johnson Tel: +44 (0) 113 246 2610tim.feather@hansonwesthouse.com www.hansonwesthouse.com Media enquiries:AbchurchGareth Mead / Emma Johnson Tel: +44 (0) 20 7398 7784gareth.mead@abchurch-group.com www.abchurch-group.com Notes to Editors: Surgical Innovations Group plc specialises in the design and manufacture ofinnovative devices for use in minimally invasive surgery and industrial markets.The Group employs over 40 people and is headquartered in Leeds. The Group's subsidiaries Surgical Innovations Limited and Haemocell Limited arefocused on strong international growth in two specialist areas namely minimallyinvasive surgery, where products are used in 'keyhole' surgery which is moreaccurately known as laparoscopic surgery, and products for autologous bloodtransfusion whereby a patient's own blood is recycled. The Group's subsidiary company Core Precision Limited utilises SurgicalInnovations' core medical device design expertise and technology in innovativeengineering applications. For more information, see www.sigroupplc.com This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange