Restore Enters International Markets With Pillar Procedure

Restore Medical, a provider of medical technologies to address sleep-disordered breathing, announced that its Pillar Procedure is now available internationally.

As part of its global expansion, Restore Medical announced signed partnerships with Bedtime Medical in Shanghai and Medicare Health Products in Hong Kong. Initial product shipments have been made to each of these distributors in support of anticipated first quarter 2005 launches.

Unlike surgical treatments, the Pillar Procedure is performed in a single office visit using local anesthetic, and is completely reversible. The procedure places three small inserts in the patient's soft palate located at the back of the roof of the mouth. The procedure stiffens the palate, preventing or lessening blockages of the airway - effectively treating sleep apnea and substantially reducing the intensity of snoring in most individuals.