Med Tech-related technology assessments and clinical guidelines from NICE in December 2019

In December 2019, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published one new interventional procedure guidance (for balloon dilation for chronic eustachian tube dysfunction), one new medical technologies guidance (for gammaCore for cluster headache), and five new MedTech innovation briefings (for Optowire for measuring fractional flow reserve, eXroid for internal hemorrhoids, and others).

Interventional Procedure Guidance is developed for most of the novel interventional procedures entering the English market. The program focuses solely on clinical evidence. Recommendations may vary from ‘for research only’ to ‘for use with standard arrangements for clinical governance, consent, and audit.' Recommendations are not binding, although they are followed by providers and commissioners.

In December 2019, NICE published one new Interventional Procedure Guidance for Balloon dilation for chronic eustachian tube dysfunction, which covers evidence-based recommendations on balloon dilation for chronic eustachian tube dysfunction in adults and children. Evidence on the safety and efficacy of balloon dilation for eustachian tube dysfunction is adequate to support the use of this procedure provided that standard arrangements are in place for clinical governance, consent, and audit.

Medical technologies guidance evaluates new, innovative medical devices, and diagnostics. It looks at medical technologies that deliver treatment, like those implanted during surgical procedures, give greater independence to patients or detect or monitor medical conditions.

In December 2019, NICE published one new Medical Technologies Guidance for gammaCore for cluster headache covers evidence-based recommendations on gammaCore for cluster headache. Evidence supports the case for adopting gammaCore to treat cluster headaches in the NHS. gammaCore reduces the frequency and intensity of cluster headache attacks and improves the quality of life. gammaCore is not effective in everyone with a cluster headache. Treatment with gammaCore should only continue for people whose symptoms reduce in the first three months. Cost modeling estimates that, in the first year of treatment, adding gammaCore to standard care is cost-saving compared with standard care alone by an average of £450 per person.

MedTech Innovation Briefing is the NICE's advice program for innovative technologies. It provides an overview of clinical effectiveness, safety, and cost. It does not offer formal guidance, and it, therefore, does not provide any recommendations.

 Five new Medtech Innovation Briefings for Optowire for measuring fractional flow reserve (used for measuring fractional flow reserve (FFR), to work out suitability for coronary artery stenting),  PIUR tUS for abdominal aortic aneurysm surveillance and endovascular aneurysm repair endoleak detection (innovative aspects of the technology are the 3D imaging that can be used with any ultrasound device), eXroid for internal haemorrhoids (it uses electrotherapy to shrink internal hemorrhoids), LQD Spray for treating acute and chronic wounds (for the external, local treatment of a range of acute and chronic wounds) and PulmoVista 500 for monitoring ventilation in critical care (for monitoring lung ventilation for people having intubation and ventilation in critical care) have been published in December.

See the full details here.

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