Wednesday October 8 8:29 AM EDT
Company Press Release
Prime Medical Services, Inc. Announces Start-Up of First
Prostatron Operation
AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 8, 1997--Prime Medical Services, Inc. (''Prime'')
(Nasdaq/NM:PMSI) today announced the start-up of its first mobile Prostatron(R), which will
operate in North Carolina.
The Prostatron(R) is a medical device used to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (''BPH''), which
affects the quality of life of approximately 20 million men in the United States. BPH related
expenditures in the United States are estimated to be about $5 billion annually even though only a
small portion of sufferers currently seek treatment. The Prostatron(R), which is a microwave
thermotherapy device, offers an alternative to traditional procedures such as transurethral resection
of the prostate (TURP).
Dan Myers, M.D., Sr. Vice President of Development, said, ''We are very pleased to have this
opportunity to provide another treatment option for men suffering from BPH. We expect that
many patients who would receive drug therapy, TURP or continue 'watchful waiting' will turn to
microwave thermotherapy. This is a minimally invasive lower cost procedure which relieves the
symptoms associated with BPH without the complications of TURP.''
Joseph Jenkins, M.D., President, added, ''There has been a very positive and enthusiastic response
from the physicians in North Carolina for the Prostatron(R), which will be operated in a mobile
configuration similar to our lithotripters. This mobility allows us to efficiently service multiple
hospitals. We are currently developing nine additional Prostatron(R) operations in several other
states.''
Prime, through its wholly owned subsidiary Prostatherapies, Inc. owns a 27% general partner
interest in North Carolina Prostatherapy Limited Partnership I. The remaining 73% interest is
owned by approximately 53 urologists.
Prime currently operates a fleet of 59 lithotripters in 34 states which perform over 36,000
procedures annually through contracts with over 400 hospitals and 225 managed care companies.
Lithotripsy is a cost effective, non-invasive method for treating kidney stones through the use of
extracorporeal shock waves which pulverize kidney stones and permit them to pass painlessly from
the body. In addition, Prime operates one mobile thermotherapy device and is currently developing
additional mobile routes to provide thermotherapy services to hospitals and surgery centers to treat
benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Thermotherapy uses microwaves to apply heat to the prostate
resulting in relief of the symptoms of BPH without damaging surrounding tissues.
For more information, visit Prime's website at: www.primemedical.com . |
