Vertos Medical Appoints New Vice President of Sales
August 6, 2019
Sales VP to Drive U.S. Commercial Expansion for Innovative mild® Treatment for Lumbar Spinal Stenosis
ALISO VIEJO, CA—Vertos Medical Inc., a leader in the development of innovative, minimally invasive treatments for lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS), today announced the appointment of Stephen E. Paul as Vice President of Sales.
Mr. Paul will be responsible for directing all aspects of sales for the U.S. commercial expansion. Mr. Paul brings over 25 years of successful commercial execution in the medical device field. He has deep expertise in setting strategic vision and leading sales teams to achieve results. He has worked for companies such as Boston Scientific, Masimo and most recently served as Vice President of Sales and Commercial Operations for Breg, a major manufacturer and distributor of orthopedic devices.
“Steve joins the Vertos leadership team at a pivotal time of growth as we see increased demand for the mild® procedure as a treatment option for millions who suffer from LSS,” said Eric Wichems, President and CEO of Vertos Medical.“Steve’s extensive experience creating and developing high performance sales teams makes him a great asset to our organization, as we drive major commercial expansion.”
“I’m excited to join the Vertos team during this time of significant growth,” said Mr. Paul. “The company’s publication of level 1 data showing significant improvement in function and pain at two years, recently published physician-generated consensus guidelines that establish mild® early in the LSS treatment algorithm, and broad Medicare coverage for patients of all ages has laid the foundation for Vertos to expand its reach to help more patients suffering from LSS.”
The mild® procedure has been performed on more than 25,000 patients and its safety and efficacy have been analyzed in more than 13 clinical studies and 20 publications. Study data has shown clinically meaningful and statistically significant mobility improvement and pain reduction with no major device-related complications in any clinical trial.
For more information about Vertos Medical, please visit www.vertosmed.com.
Benyamin, R., et al. (2016), mild® is an Effective Treatment for Lumbar Spinal Stenosis with Neurogenic Claudication: MiDAS ENCORE Randomized Controlled Trial, Pain Physician, 19: 229-242, ISSN 1533-3159.
Mekhail, Nagy, et al. (2012) Functional and Patient-Reported Outcomes in Symptomatic Lumbar Spinal Stenosis Following Percutaneous Decompression. Pain Practice, 12(6): 417–425. doi: 10.1111/j.1533-2500.2012.00565.x.
2012 data from Health Market Sciences report for Vertos Medical 2013.
Data on file with Vertos Medical.
Staats PS, et al. for the MiDAS ENCORE Investigators. (2018), Long-term safety and efficacy of minimally invasive lumbar decompression procedure for the treatment of lumbar spinal stenosis with neurogenic claudication: 2-year results of MiDAS ENCORE. Reg Anesth Pain Med. 2018;43:789-794.
Based on mild® Procedure data collected in all clinical studies. Major complications are defined as dural tear and blood loss requiring transfusion.
MiDAS ENCORE responder data. On file with Vertos Medical.
Jain, S., et al. (2020), Minimally invasive lumbar decompression: a review of indications, techniques, efficacy and safety, Pain Manag., Published online ahead of print: 1 Jul 2020, https://www.futuremedicine.com/doi/10.2217/pmt-2020-0037.
Deer, TR, Grider, JS, Pope, JE; For the Lumbar Spinal Stenosis Consensus Group. (2019) The MIST Guidelines: The Lumbar Spinal Stenosis Consensus Group Guidelines for Minimally Invasive Spine Treatment. Pain Pract. 2019;250-274. doi:10.1111/papr.12744
Hansson T, Suzuki N, Hebelka H, Gaulitz A. The narrowing of the lumbar spinal canal during loaded MRI: the effects of the disc and ligamentum flavum. Eur Spine J. 2009;18(5):679-686. doi: 10.1007/s00586-
009-0919-7.
Treatment options shown are commonly offered once conservative therapies (e.g., physical therapy, pain medications, chiropractic) are not providing adequate relief. This is not intended to be a complete list of all treatments available. Doctors typically recommend treatments based on their safety profile, typically prioritizing low risk/less aggressive procedures before higher risk/more aggressive procedures, but will determine which treatments are appropriate for their patients.
Although the complication rate for the mild® Procedure is low, as with most surgical procedures, serious adverse events, some of which can be fatal, can occur, including heart attack, cardiac arrest (heart stops beating), stroke, and embolism (blood or fat that migrates to the lungs or heart). Other risks include infection and bleeding, spinal cord and nerve injury that can, in rare instances, cause paralysis. This procedure is not for everyone. Physicians should discuss potential risks with patients. For complete information regarding indications for use, warnings, precautions, and methods of use, please reference the devices’Instructions for Use.
Patient stories on this website reflect the results experienced by individuals who have undergone the mild® Procedure. Patients are not compensated for their testimonial. The mild® Procedure is intended to treat lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) caused by ligamentum flavum hypertrophy. Although patients may experience relief from the procedure, individual results may vary. Individuals may have symptoms persist or evolve or other conditions that require ongoing medication or additional treatments. Please consult with your doctor to determine if this procedure is right for you.
Reimbursement, especially coding, is dynamic and changes every year. Laws and regulations involving reimbursement are also complex and change frequently. Providers are responsible for determining medical necessity and reporting the codes that accurately describe the work that is done and the products and procedures that are furnished to patients. For this reason, Vertos Medical strongly recommends that you consult with your payers, your specialty society, or the AMA CPT regarding coding, coverage and payment.
Vertos Medical cannot guarantee coding, coverage, or payment for products or procedures. View our Billing Guide.
Vertos is an equal employment opportunity workplace committed to pursuing and hiring a diverse workforce. We strive to grow our team with highly skilled people who share our culture and values. We do not discriminate on the basis of sex, age, color, race, religion, marital status, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, physical & mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, veteran status, or any other basis protected by federal, state or local law.
