Home Nyheter Italiensk läkare ser stor potential för Chordate Medicals behandling

Italiensk läkare ser stor potential för Chordate Medicals behandling

Italiensk läkare ser stor potential för Chordate Medicals behandling

17 augusti, 2021

I Italien har man sedan 2018 kunnat behandla kronisk nästäppa med Chordate Medicals behandlingsmetod K.O.S. En av läkarna som har använt K.O.S sedan lanseringen är professor Lino Di Rienzo Businco, en välrenommerad otolaryngolog och expert inom sportmedicin som bland annat har behandlat toppatleter i Italiens OS-trupp med K.O.S. Professor Businco har sett tydliga förbättringar hos patienterna efter behandlingen vilket han berättar mer om i en intervju med BioStock.

Chordate Medical har utvecklat och lanserat behandlingsmetoden Kinetic Oscillation Stimulation (K.O.S) för långtidsverkande behandling av kronisk rinit (nästäppa) och kronisk migrän.

K.O.S stimulerar nerverna i näsans slemhinnor genom mekaniska vibrationer vilket öppnar upp de övre luftvägarna och lindrar nästäppan. K.O.S är därmed ett lämpligt behandlingsalternativ för de patienter som inte vill genomgå invasiva kirurgiska ingrepp eller använda beroendeframkallande nässpray.

Professor Lino Di Rienzo Businco

Intervju med professor Lino Di Rienzo Businco

I juni publicerade BioStock en intervju med Valter Varano, vd för Chordate Medicals distributör Vedise Hospital som levererar K.O.S till sjukhus och kliniker i Italien. Nu riktar vi istället blicken mot den medicinska professionens åsikter om Chordate Medicals behandlingsmetod. BioStock kontaktade professor Lino Di Rienzo Businco, en välkänd läkare i Italien som i tre år har använt K.O.S för att behandla patienter med icke-allergisk kronisk nästäppa.

Professor Di Rienzo Buscino, thank you for joining us for this interview. Could you tell us a bit about yourself and your background?

– Currently, I am head of the otolaryngology section of the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI) in Rome, an institute that follows the health of top athletes from around Italy, including those who participate in major sporting events such as the Olympic Games. I am also head of the otolaryngology department at the Sovereign Military Order of Malta in Rome. For both positions, I specialise in the study of the defence mechanisms of the upper airways and how such mechanisms can affect the rest of the body.

– I have dedicated many years to researching minimally invasive techniques, in both the medical and the surgical fields, aimed at treating illnesses related to the respiratory mucosa. I have set up a number of different protocols, especially with balloon-aided treatments like K.O.S., and designed devices focused on keeping airway disturbances under control, such as allergic as well as non-allergic rhinitis.

»I have dedicated many years to researching minimally invasive techniques, in both the medical and the surgical fields, aimed at treating illnesses related to the respiratory mucosa.«

– One of the challenges but also a strength of the otolaryngology field is that it is a multidisciplinary field that often brings together more than one medical specialisation, including neurology, oncology, ear surgery, etc. So, for example, a patient suffering from rhinitis is treated from different medicinal perspectives because inflammation and swelling of the mucous membrane of the nose can manifest with headaches, earaches, disturbances in the lungs, etc. This is a key point when discussing the treatment of rhinitis and the market potential for a product like K.O.S.

How long have you been using K.O.S. to treat non-allergic rhinitis?

– I have been using K.O.S. since 2018, so, in three years, we have put together and perfected the protocol for K.O.S. as a treatment for rhinitis. It is quickly becoming an alternative to invasive surgery since it accomplishes the same goal of opening up the airways to alleviate typical rhinitis symptoms without the typical complications of surgery, e.g., empty nose which gives the perception of nasal obstruction despite having a clear nasal passage, and also leads to crusting, diminished sense of smell and facial pain.

»After three years of using K.O.S., I can say with confidence that, as a treatment, there is nothing that can compete with it«

– After three years of using K.O.S., I can say with confidence that, as a treatment, there is nothing that can compete with it because, currently, there is no drug on the market or surgical procedure that is able to impact the autonomic nervous system of the nasal mucosa to alleviate inflammation, and thus open up the upper airways, without producing significant side effects.

What results have you seen in the clinic, and what kind of feedback have you gotten from the patients?

– I have to say the results we have seen are excellent. In non-allergic rhinitis, the inflammation is usually the result of swollen blood vessels and a build-up of fluid in the tissues of the nose. K.O.S. significantly reduces these symptoms, thus improving breathing capacity and reducing nasal infections caused by something like the common cold. These patients experience a strengthening of the airways overall.

– When we first propose the treatment to patients, they display a bit of hesitancy, a fear of the unknown, let’s say. However, when they realise that the treatment is painless, requiring no anaesthesia or pre-treatment medication of any kind, the patients respond positively and are very happy with the treatment.  

How do you view K.O.S.’s potential within non-allergic rhinitis in Italy (versus surgery)?

– The potential is quite high in Italy, especially compared to northern Europe and even North America. This is mainly due to differences in climate as well as cultural differences – the warmer, more humid climate of the southern European states makes people more prone to non-allergic rhinitis. Furthermore, we see that the northern European as well as North American countries tend to favour more aggressive and invasive surgery techniques for treating this type of rhinitis.

»The potential is quite high in Italy, especially compared to northern Europe and even North America.«

– We also see an increase in non-allergic rhinitis in regions of high urbanisation, where pollution levels are elevated. Unfortunately, many Italian cities rank quite low in terms of air quality compared to other European countries – another factor leading to higher levels of non-allergic rhinitis.

I understand that you have treated some of the Italian Olympic athletes, what can you tell us about that?

– Indeed, athletes performing at that level, especially those participating in high intensity sports where climate is a major factor, e.g., kayaking, long distance running, cycling etc., rely on optimal oxygen intake, which is driven mainly by a healthy nasal mucosa. This is where a treatment like K.O.S. can produce immense benefits, especially if done periodically, up to four times a year, I would say, because it can help reduce recovery time between training sessions, and can lead to fewer injuries, thus prolonging an athlete’s career and producing better results overall. From an athlete’s perspective, K.O.S. is equivalent to a type of physiotherapy for the nose – it makes the cells or the mucosa work more efficiently to reduce inflammation and improve airflow through the nose.

– However, it is important to keep in mind that these benefits do not only pertain to athletes, but to non-athletes as well. A healthy oxygen intake level has a significant impact on everyday life and on cardiovascular function overall. Rhinitis makes breathing difficult, therefore, if not properly treated, over time it will reduce the ability to focus, thus impacting a person’s performance at work or at school. It can also compromise the quality of sleep, which in turn leads to an increase in daytime fatigue with cardio-respiratory and metabolic overload.

– Thus, for an Olympic athlete, the use of K.O.S. as a treatment could mean the difference between a gold and a silver medal, but for a non-athlete, this could mean living a more comfortable life, and even preventing a number of diseases, included life-threating diseases such as stroke and heart attack.

»For an Olympic athlete, the use of K.O.S. as a treatment could mean the difference between a gold and a silver medal, but for a non-athlete, this could mean living a more comfortable life, and even preventing a number of diseases«

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