MedTech-related technology assessments and clinical guidelines from NICE in September 2022

Interventional Procedures Guidance (IPG) 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 September 2022, NICE published three new IPGs and made the following conclusions:

• Evidence on the safety and efficacy of removal, preservation and subsequent reimplantation of ovarian tissue to prevent symptoms from the menopause is inadequate in quality and quantity. Therefore, this procedure should not be done unless it is part of a formal research study, with appropriate governance and ethics approval;
• Evidence on the safety and efficacy of prostatic urethral temporary implant insertion for lower urinary tract symptoms caused by benign prostatic hyperplasia is limited in quantity and quality. Therefore, this procedure should only be used with special arrangements for clinical governance, consent, and audit or research;
• Evidence on the efficacy and safety of neurostimulation of lumbar muscles for refractory non-specific chronic low back pain is limited in quantity and quality. Therefore, this procedure should only be used with special arrangements for clinical governance, consent, and audit or research.

The MedTech Innovation Briefings (MIBs) is the advice program of NICE 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.

One new MIBs published in September 2022 is iTind for lower urinary tract symptoms caused by benign prostatic hyperplasia. It is a minimally invasive surgical treatment using a temporary implanted nitinol device.

Medical Technologies Guidance (MTG) 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 September 2022, NICE updated one MTG on Neuropad for detecting preclinical diabetic peripheral neuropathy to reflect new evidence. Recommendations remain unchanged.

Three clinical guidelines were updated in September 2022:

• Lung cancer: diagnosis and management - updates concerned pharmacotherapy only;
• Colorectal cancer prevention: colonoscopic surveillance in adults with ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease or adenomas - recommendations on colonoscopy for adults with adenomas were replaced with a link to the British Society of Gastroenterology’s guidelines on post-polypectomy and post-colorectal cancer resection surveillance;
• Obesity: identification, assessment and management - recommendations on identifying and assessing overweight, obesity and central adiposity were updated.

See the full details for guidance here and for MIBs here.

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