Vienna, September 20, 2018 – Alcon, the global leader in eye care and a division of Novartis, launches the new FINESSE SHARKSKIN™ ILM Forceps at the 36th Annual Meeting of European Society of Retina Specialists (EURETINA) Congress, taking place September 20-23 in Vienna, Austria. The next-generation tool is designed to provide increased surgical precision and enhance retina surgery outcomes. The new forceps have a large grasping platform and a texturized tip surface, allowing surgeons to more easily grasp and peel the internal limited membrane (ILM) and minimize trauma to the retina in the process.^1,2 The new FINESSE SHARKSKIN™ ILM Forceps will be commercially available in Europe in the fourth quarter of 2018.

“Taking into account customer feedback, our research and development teams have engineered a new generation of forceps to enhance control and precision for ophthalmologists during retina surgery,” said Stephan Eigenmann, Surgical Franchise Head, Alcon Europe, Middle East, Africa. “We are proud to bring surgeons the new FINESSE SHARKSKIN™ ILM Forceps featuring new mechanical properties to manage this critical step of peeling and grasping the ILM membrane during retina surgery.”

The FINESSE SHARKSKIN™ ILM Forceps deliver an optimized grasping platform to help minimize membrane shredding that can be caused by multiple grasping attempts.¹ The laser-ablated micro-structures on the tip surface – which resemble the textured skin of a shark – increase friction between tissue and forceps to improve grip during ILM peeling.² The conforming forceps also provide a 59 percent larger platform in 27 gauge to decrease the closing angle and increase length of the grasping edge.¹

“The FINESSE SHARKSKIN™ ILM Forceps is a great addition to vitreoretinal instrumentation. Its large platform and new tip texture is helpful to quickly and delicately peel and grasp the ILM during retina surgery”, said Prof. Stanislao Rizzo, Chair, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Florence, Italy.

The FINESSE SHARKSKIN™ ILM Forceps are available in 23, 25+® and 27+® gauge sizes. To learn more about the new FINESSE SHARKSKIN™ ILM Forceps, delegates can visit the Alcon booth at the EURETINA Congress, and attend Alcon symposium:

Saturday, September 22 -10.00-11.00
Reed Messe Hall C3

Fusing technologies into integrated solutions for every Vitreoretinal Surgery

During the symposium, Alcon will present its latest vitreoretinal consumables portfolio, including the FINESSE SHARKSKIN™ ILM Forceps, the Ultravit 10k bevel tip vitrectomy probes and the Vektor laser probes, used within Alcon’s 25+/27+ gauge portfolio.

About the FINESSE SHARKSKIN™ ILM Forceps

The FINESSE SHARKSKIN™ ILM Forceps are single-use vitreoretinal micro-instruments for use in posterior segment ophthalmic surgery. Potential risks from reusing or reprocessing FINESSE SHARKSKIN™ ILM Forceps may include the introduction of foreign particles to the eye or reduced cutting or grasping performance. Please refer to the product direction for use for a complete listing of indications, warnings, and precautions.³