NanoKnife System Receives OPS Procedure Classification Codes in Germany

October 28, 2014 06:30 ET | Source: AngioDynamics

ALBANY, N.Y., Oct. 28, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AngioDynamics, a leading provider of innovative, minimally invasive medical devices for vascular access, surgery, peripheral vascular disease and oncology, today announced the Germany Ministry of Health has issued an OPS (a procedure classification code) for the company's NanoKnife System. This process is the first step in securing reimbursement for new medical technologies in Germany.

Currently, there are seven NanoKnife systems in Germany, used primarily in patients who suffer from liver, prostate, kidney and lung cancers. Use of the system is usually paid for by the patient or the costs are picked up through a research grant at a university hospital. Being granted an OPS is an important step in the universal acceptance of a medical technology.

"The issuance of the OPS by the German Ministry of Health is an enormous advancement in the successful implementation of the NanoKnife technology in the German market," said Rick Stark, Senior Vice President of AngioDynamics' Global Oncology/Surgery Franchise. "With OPS in-hand, the Ministry can now document the technology's benefits and determine an appropriate level of reimbursement according to German Diagnosis Related Groups (G-DRGs) for a variety of specific procedures."

Eleven new OPS Codes have been introduced, including: bile ducts, 5-513.44; bone, 5-789.9; liver, 5-501.7; lung, 5-339.22; stomach, 5-433.7; adrenal gland, 5-073.42; kidney, 5-552.9; esophagus, 5-422.7; prostate 5-601.8; pancreas, 5-521.3; and rectum 5-482.e.

"The inclusion of the IRE-Procedures for different types of tissue into the German OPS-Catalogue highlights the relevance of this novel treatment method," added Dr. Philipp Wiggerman, of University Hospital in Regensburg, Germany. 

The pathway to a reimbursement code for a medical device in Germany can take a year or more as it requires multiple agency filings and support from each scientific society that treats specific disease states. The G-DRG for NanoKnife is expected by January 1, 2015, with reimbursement occurring as early as April 2015 as facilities go through their individual applications for reimbursement.