Main Line Health surgeon first in Pa. to implant cutting-edge device for challenging colorectal condition
Bryn Mawr, PA — A Main Line Health team has become the first in Pennsylvania to implant a new, cutting-edge device for a challenging condition that causes a painful, sometimes debilitating condition in the rectal area and has long frustrated colorectal surgeons.
Anal fistula is a common affliction characterized by an abnormal passageway that forms from the inside of the anus to the skin outside. Treatment can result in slow healing, often requires repeat procedures and comes with the risk of incontinence.
Philip Pearson, MD, and his surgical team at Bryn Mawr Hospital recently became the first in the state, and among the first nationally, to implant the BioHealx® device. The surgery was done with a quick, minimally invasive procedure.
“Anal fistula is a common disease that no one talks about and is difficult to fix,” said Dr. Pearson, who has been treating patients for nearly 30 years. “We’ve used a gel, a plug and a flap of tissue, but outcomes frequently are unsuccessful. By far, this is the best solution that we’ve ever had to offer. I’m excited about starting to use it for our patients.”
BioHealx is a spiral, barbed absorbable implant that is placed around the fistula tract to close it within the sphincter muscle by bringing tissue edges together. The implant is placed using a preloaded, single-use, disposable delivery device that rotates the implant into the soft tissue surrounding the fistula tract at its source within the sphincter muscle. Once implanted, the device is fully enclosed in tissue and is not exposed to the anorectal canal. The BioHealx device fully absorbs in six to 12 months.
Anal fistulas affect one in 5,000 people worldwide. In the United States, over 90,000 surgeries are performed annually to treat the condition.
Signum Surgical was granted marketing clearance by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the first-of-its-kind medical device in July 2024.
About Main Line Health
Main Line Health® is a not-for-profit health system serving the greater Philadelphia region. The System comprises five hospitals, seven health centers, more than 160 outpatient and physician practice locations, over 14,500 employees and more than 2,200 employed and independent physicians and advanced practice providers.
Founded in 1985, Main Line Health includes four of the region’s most respected acute care hospitals — Lankenau Medical Center, Bryn Mawr Hospital, Paoli Hospital and Riddle Hospital — as well as Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital, one of the nation’s premier facilities for rehabilitative medicine. The System also includes Mirmont Treatment Center, which provides treatment and support for substance use disorders; Main Line Health HomeCare & Hospice; Main Line HealthCare, its employed multispecialty physician network; Lankenau Institute for Medical Research, a leading biomedical research organization; and Main Line Health Centers offering primary and specialty care, lab, radiology and other outpatient services in Broomall, Collegeville, Concordville, Devon, Exton, King of Prussia and Newtown Square.
Main Line Health brings together physicians, advanced practice providers, nurses, researchers and other healthcare professionals across a broad network of inpatient, outpatient, home-based and community-based services. Through this integrated approach, the System delivers high-quality, comprehensive care across the continuum — from primary care and preventive services to complex specialty, surgical, trauma, emergency, rehabilitative, behavioral health, home care and hospice services — with a focus on making care accessible in the communities where people live and work.
Main Line Health also collaborates with leading clinical partners to expand access to specialized care. Through its affiliation with Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, pediatric care is provided at select Main Line Health locations, including neonatal intensive care units at its acute care hospitals and Bryn Mawr Hospital’s Inpatient Pediatric Unit and Emergency Department. Jefferson Health neurosurgeons and neurointerventionalists also provide 24/7 specialized care, including neurointervention and lifesaving stroke care.