Medical Ventures, of British Columbia, got 510(k) clearance this week to start selling its PeriPatch Aegis system in the U.S. PeriPatch Aegis is used to reinforce surgical staple lines during procedures such as bariatric and thoracic surgery. The company says it will begin limited marketing of the product in the second quarter of this year. When used in conjunction with standard surgical staplers, the device helps reduce leakage and bleeding around staple lines. It can be used in minimally invasive laparoscopic and endoscopic procedures as well as in traditional open surgeries. U.S. approval was especially critical, given the market for bariatric surgery. As Medical Ventures points out in its press release, “Bariatric surgery to treat obesity, commonly referred to as ‘stomach stapling,’ is one of the fastest-growing medical procedures in the U.S. According to a recent Frost & Sullivan report, it is expected that more than 200,000 bariatric surgeries will be performed this year, up from only about 13,000 in 1998.”