“Cook Black Silicone showed the greatest resistance to encrustation with the smallest weight gain and the longest indwelling time without significant surface encrustation.”1 Our mainstay, everyday stent, the Black Silicone Filiform Double Pigtail Ureteral Stent Set, was recently included in…
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The emergence of single-use flexible ureteroscopes has sparked significant interest within the urological community. While reusable ureteroscopes have long been the standard, making the switch to single-use devices has its advantages. 1. Enhanced safety The off-the-shelf and readily available single-use…
Collaboration is in our DNA. For 50 years and counting, Cook Medical has partnered with urologists around the world to advance their procedures with innovative products that better meet their… 
In step one of our four-part journey through our procedural product offering, we focused on all things access and our selection of wire guides, needles, and catheters. In this next stage—dilation—we’re highlighting devices that span a breadth of indications—from treating… 
We’re walking you through a procedure from start to finish in a four-part series that takes a closer look at our comprehensive product portfolio. However you choose to get access, Cook has you covered with a diverse selection of wire… 
No matter a stone’s size, composition, or location within the urinary tract, you can treat your patients with confidence using Cook Medical’s manipulation devices. Dust, bust, and basket urinary stones and fragments with a comprehensive selection of nitinol stone extractors… 
The results discussed in the following article were extracted from data obtained in April and May of 2020. In the early months of onset, the COVID-19 pandemic forced significant changes and challenges upon healthcare industries around the world, affecting urological… 
In 1998, Cook Medical released the very first extractor made with nitinol,1 an innovative alloy that retains its preformed shape. We called that device the NCircle® Nitinol Tipless Stone Extractor. It was also the first truly tipless basket design. That’s… 
Whether your facility rents or owns a laser system (or multiple systems), you must designate a laser safety officer (LSO) to monitor and enforce your facility’s laser safety program for all laser systems, not just holmium and thulium, and across… 
Cook Medical is your trusted source for a full line of disposables and the latest laser technology, and we're dedicated to doing what we can to help you focus on what matters most—your patients. It starts with our quality products—bolstered… 
Bloomington, Ind. – Cook Medical has been awarded an interventional urology contract with Vizient, Inc., the largest healthcare performance improvement company in the United States. This contract gives Vizient member hospitals access to enhanced savings on our full line of urology… 
We sat down with Dr. Bradley Schwartz, Chairman of Urology, Southern Illinois University, to discuss his experience with the Resonance® Metallic Ureteral Stent. In the third installment of this three-part series, Dr. Schwartz addresses a few common questions and concerns… 
We sat down with Dr. Bradley Schwartz, Chairman of Urology, Southern Illinois University, to discuss his experience with the Resonance® Metallic Ureteral Stent. In the second installment of this three-part series, Dr. Schwartz provides a detailed overview for using the… 
We sat down with Dr. Bradley Schwartz, Chairman of Urology, Southern Illinois University, to discuss his experience with the Resonance® Metallic Ureteral Stent. In the first installment of this three-part series, Dr. Schwartz talks about his approach to treating extrinsic ureteral… 
Editor’s note: In March 2019, Rob Faulkner was named global director for Cook Medical’s Urology specialty. He has been with Cook for 19+ years—previously serving in the Endoscopy specialty as a district sales manager, regional manager, North America sales manager,… 
Encountering an encrusted ureteral stent can be all too common when managing numerous urological conditions. Stent encrustation is a serious complication,1 and it presents a significant clinical challenge.2 Polymer stents are the industry standard but quickly become encrusted with stone material… 
Cook Medical is headed to the Windy City for the 2019 American Urological Association (AUA) Annual Meeting, May 3-6, 2019. We hope you’ll join us at our booth (#2201) to learn about our products, to find a Vista® course that… 
The Rhapsody® H-30® Holmium Laser System features a variable pulse width, which enables a physician to tailor their treatment on the fly. This ability to adjust settings and tailor treatment has led to discussions on stone lasing techniques as well as power… 
Whether you prefer the stiffness and control of stainless steel or the flexibility and resiliency of nitinol, Cook Medical has a comprehensive assortment of wire guides to fit your preferences and meet your procedural needs. Start exploring our wire guide… 
Editor’s note: This is the second in a series of posts profiling several of our Vista® Education and Training facilitators from around the world. For more information on our Vista courses, visit vista.cookmedical.com. In 2010, Dr. Janak Desai proposed ultra-mini… 
The uppercase ‘N’ in the names of our nitinol stone extractors speaks to the innovative technology that is nitinol. More so, the device's actionable names serve as double meanings for how they can be used. 
Editor’s note: This is the first in a series of posts profiling several of our Vista® Education and Training facilitators from around the world. For more information on our Vista courses, visit vista.cookmedical.com and choose your region. Prof. Evangelos Liatsikos… 
Cook Medical offers a collection of stent configurations, materials, and designs to accommodate your routine, everyday drainage procedures, and the procedures that require something a bit more specific. Cook's collection includes a soft silicone stent, a stent made from thermosensitive polymer,… 
At Cook Medical, we believe innovative product-focused training is as important as product innovation itself. Featuring state-of-the-art technology, our Vista Tele-Education courses give healthcare professionals an interactive OR experience that provides product and procedure training from the convenience of their… 
Earth Day 2018 Making decisions that are good for the planet has been part of Cook's culture for decades. We’ve done a lot to reduce our footprint on the environment, and we’d like to do more. View the Going Green… 
If your Cook Medical capital equipment unexpectedly needs repairs or maintenance, our service plans can help you avoid costly downtime and postponement of patient care. To ensure that you are covered, our dedicated capital support team provides ongoing support and… 
The sights and sounds of Copenhagen, Denmark, are calling, and we’re eager to gather with around 15,000 urology specialists at the 33rd annual European Association of Urology (EAU) Congress. It’s sure to be an inspiring and engaging experience. What: European… 
This year, because World Kidney Day (WKD) and International Women’s Day both fall on Thursday, March 8, it can be a day for raising awareness of the challenges women around the world face in receiving affordable and equitable access to… 
Bladder health is a topic that is rarely talked about. Since November is National Bladder Health Month, Cook Medical is raising awareness as a part of our continuing commitment to health and wellness. You can help, too. Join the conversation,… 
A holmium:YAG (Ho:YAG) laser system transmits laser energy to the surgical site through a flexible fiberoptic delivery system called a laser fiber (or just a fiber). While fibers may vary somewhat in the features they offer, the science behind the… 
Early endourology training courses in 1982—and the proctoring physicians who pioneered those foundational workshops—were pivotal in shaping the specialty. The impact of those seminal moments can still be felt today as endourology continues to evolve and advance. It was only… 
According to the World Cancer Research Fund International, bladder cancer is the ninth most common cancer in the world.1 In 2012, nearly 10 out of every 100,000 people were diagnosed with bladder cancer in more developed regions of the world.1… 
Dusting and busting (basketing) are two techniques for treating kidney stones with laser lithotripsy. Choosing which technique to use often depends on the situation—the composition of the stone, its size and location in the kidney, and a variety of other… 
Urology has historically been a field dominated by male physicians.1 A 2015 report on physician compensation asked the question, “Which specialties have the most female physicians?” Not surprisingly, urology was at the bottom of the list with only 8% (Ob/Gyn… 
Over the last four decades, Cook Medical has blazed a trail in urology, collaborating with physicians to bring new ideas to life and enhance patient care. In the 1970s, we got our start working alongside urological pioneers like Dr. Al… 
The theme of this year’s World Kidney Day is “Kidney disease and obesity: Healthy lifestyles for healthy kidneys.” While it may not be surprising to read about the correlation between kidney disease and obesity, it can be quite sobering to… 
Unfortunately, if you’ve seen one urethra, you haven’t seen them all. Diversity in your patients' anatomy demands a diverse selection of products for your urological procedures—starting with products for gaining and maintaining access. That’s where we come in. Used to… 
The air is cold and crisp in our neck of the woods, and the first few flakes of snow have already made their appearance at our global headquarters in Bloomington, Indiana. In honor of the holiday season, we thought it… 
Cook Medical is once again joining the Movember movement to raise awareness for men’s health. It’s a topic of conversation that’s near and dear to us, not just because we work in the healthcare industry, or because many of us… 
To be on the cutting edge, you have to continuously sharpen your skills using the latest product innovations. Cook Medical’s Vista® Education and Training program helps you stay at the top of your game—providing you with specialized training from physicians who are passionate… 
This year’s American Urological Association (AUA) annual meeting in San Diego was only the second urological meeting I’ve attended since moving over to Cook Medical’s Urology division at the end of last year. I’ve been to numerous meetings with Cook’s… 
Cook Medical mourns the death of a dear friend and colleague, Fred Roemer. Fred’s dedication and contributions to the development of endourology are acknowledged by many to have been instrumental to the field. Fred joined Cook's urological division (at the… 
There’s a certain excitement that comes with the development of a new product. It’s not just the realization of something new, it’s the greater understanding that the something new may change the course of history. Over the years, I’ve seen… 
March 10, 2016 – Today is World Kidney Day, and we’re joining with healthcare professionals around the globe to raise awareness for kidney disease. The kidney stone statistics are staggering. In many areas, the increasing incidence and prevalence of kidney… 
For over a decade now, we’ve hosted physician education courses for urologists in Latin America. What started with one or two annual trainings has flourished to more than 20 courses per year. We’re excited for 2016, and expect more than… 
Have you ever zeroed in on an intact stone or rogue fragment during lithotripsy and had it migrate out of view? Retropulsion, however it occurs, can prolong your procedures.1 That’s where we come in. Cook Medical has several innovative products that…
This time of year is often a time of reflection, a time to look back and celebrate our accomplishments. But it’s also a time to look ahead, to plan, and to set expectations. We’re determined to do great things in…
With the healthcare system facing cost pressures from all sides, Cook Medical knows that creating products that solve clinical problems is only half the battle. We need to be innovative by designing products that help you reduce costs. As a…
Movember has come and gone. And for many of you, if you haven’t done so already, it may be time to say goodbye to your ‘stache. However thick or thin, we applaud you for your commitment. We want to thank… 
It is becoming an annual tradition for Cook Medical employees to participate in Movember. So far this year, as in years past, we’ve seen strong support—most visibly by those men who are bold enough to grow out their moustaches. But… 
One of the statistics that stood out to us in our last post was that men have about a 1 in 7 chance of getting prostate cancer in their lifetime1. With a number like that staring men in the face, it can… 
We humans are fascinated with statistics. In all aspects of life—politics, sports, the economy, healthcare—the numbers we come across can tell us the good, and the bad, in any given situation. When it comes to cancer facts and figures, most… 
Soon, many men will put their razors away for a month and grow out their moustaches as a way to raise awareness for prostate cancer and other men’s health issues. "Movember" is kind of a big deal around Cook Medical.… 
It’s not every day that a medical device is conceptualized, designed, and manufactured with the understanding that it may be placed less frequently in patients. But that’s exactly what happened with the Resonance® Metallic Ureteral Stent. At the outset of…
The last couple of months, we’ve been talking about different ways to improve healthcare outside of developing new product technology that focuses on solving clinical problems. That will always remain our cornerstone, but we’re equally passionate about solving problems on…
Since attending the first World Congress of Endourology (WCE), held in London in 1983, Cook Medical hasn’t missed a meeting. And this year, we’ll keep the streak going as the WCE returns to the city where it all started. While… 
Converting to a new vendor can be complicated and time-consuming. Over the past few years, we’ve worked hard to develop a process that has led to successful outcomes and ensures that you don’t have to do all the work yourself. What… 
Over the last 40 years Cook Medical has played a role in the shifting urological trends. Recently, we’ve started to redefine what it means to offer a comprehensive product offering—to bring you solutions that can help you streamline your stone… 
Knowledge and personal interactions are near the top of my list of things I’m passionate about. When I started at Cook Medical five and a half years ago, I aspired to reach a position where I could share my experiences…
It wasn’t long after nitinol alloy had made its way into medical devices that engineers at Cook Medical began to look for ways to incorporate flexible, resilient nitinol wire into an extractor that could retain its preformed shape. Today, we…
This year, Cook has added a new partnership with the American Urological Association to our education program offering. Together, we’re putting on a series of webinars through the Young Urologist Committee of the AUA. It’s easy to see—through our sponsorship…
This June, during Men’s Health Month, we want to shine a spotlight on an area of men’s health that can occasionally get overlooked. While prostate health is one of the most commonly discussed men’s health issues, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)…
The annual meeting of the American Urological Association (AUA) is one of our favorite times of the year. We always look forward to seeing old friends, meeting new ones, and learning from the best and brightest in our specialty. This year is no exception, and we have quite a few specific activities that we’re looking forward to.
Different cultures, different history, different physicians, different patients, different treatments. At the European Association of Urology (EAU) annual meeting, the differences are evident around every corner. Those differences are some of the things that make the journey of an American… 
World Kidney Day is March 12, 2015! Taking care of your kidneys is an important part of your overall health, and we want to help spread the word about how to keep kidneys healthy. There are many kidney conditions that… 
Physician collaboration has been the cornerstone of our product development for many years. Some of our favorite products, such as BIGopsy®, LithAssist™, and our nitinol stone extractor family, have been the result of close partnerships with physicians. Unfortunately, there are several factors… 
Cook Medical’s recently opened Learning Center in Monchengladbach, Germany, is another example of our global initiative to partner with healthcare professionals and provide product education opportunities. The renting, renovation, and customization of a dedicated space for training has expanded the…
At a recent meeting of the New England section of the American Urological Association (AUA), one of our Urology managers gratefully accepted an award on Cook’s behalf that recognized our recent efforts in physician education. George Hay is a regional manager for…
As 2014 comes to an end, our Urology team members from around the world wanted to take a moment to send you a special message. Please, share this with anyone you know that makes a difference in healthcare every day. It’s for all of you. Enjoy!
If there’s one thing we can all agree on, it’s that there’s only so much time in the day. That makes time a precious resource, perhaps nowhere more so than in healthcare. This wouldn’t be a problem if there were…
As November draws to a close, we want to sincerely thank each and every one of our Movember team members, readers, and retweeters. This month is all about raising awareness and educating. If you helped out even a little, you made a difference. Here are a few of our favorite moments from this month...
Cutting costs is the name of the game in healthcare today. Everyone from manufacturers to providers to group purchasing organizations is under pressure to do more with less. We know that solving clinical problems is only half of our job.…
Today, Cook Medical employees celebrated our first ‘Stache Day! We asked all of our moustache enthusiasts to show us their three-week progress on growing their Movember ‘staches. (And, we provided some fun props for those who can’t or won’t grow their own.)
Welcome to the first of our “below the belt” series, where we’ll be debunking myths about urological conditions. This month, in honor of Movember, let’s address three common misconceptions about prostate cancer.
If you blink as you drive through the town of Spencer in southern Indiana, you might just miss it. It’s here, on the outskirts of this rural town, that two of the major players in the urological devices market have…
This year, approximately 233,000 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in the U.S. And more than 29,480 men will die as a result of it. Sometimes these numbers are hard for us to really understand because they’re so large.…
For the Urology team at Cook, the 11th month of the year is our favorite. We participate in Movember — a global effort to raise awareness and money for men’s health issues, particularly prostate cancer. There are a lot of fun parts…
The term nitinol comes from its composition and where it was discovered: nickel titanium/naval ordnance laboratory. In 1959, two scientists were exploring the properties of metal alloys. Upon heating a folded strip of a nickel titanium alloy, the scientists found…
What if you could manage a stone case from start to finish by using only our products? In March, physicians in Poland performed three separate stone cases by using products from Cook Medical’s complete line. They used wire guides, stents,…
Every day, the products we make impact countless lives. This is a reality that we don’t take lightly. We make each one of our products as if the patient on the table were a family member or close friend. Bill’s…
The Urology division was started in the 1970s, when Bill Cook was introduced to Dr. Al Rutner and began to explore the needs of urologists. Rutner provided Cook with drawings and notes on a few ideas, which Cook in turn…
The situation Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center wanted to find ways to improve its supply chain and save money. Wake Forest Baptist wanted to reduce costs across its entire supply chain system by making it more efficient, not just by…
The 2013 Arthur D. Smith Endourology Lectureship was presented to Thomas Knoll, MD, associate professor of urology at Mannheim University Hospital, Germany, and head of the Department of Urology, Sindelfingen-Böblingen Medical Center, University of Tübingen, Germany. Dr. Knoll received the…
Bloomington, Ind. —Cook Medical has a new device to simplify percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) procedures, during which physicians break up and remove large kidney stones, or can use it in the bladder to break up large bladder stones. LithAssist™ combines suction…
Since 1963, Cook Medical has been collaborating with physicians to bring new product ideas to market. We are always looking for ways to create solutions to complex problems. This way of thinking has made a difference in millions of patient’s…
Cook Medical’s Vista® Education and Training program encourages physicians and other members of the healthcare industry to improve patient care by sharing best practices. Education and Training Cook sponsors a complete educational program. Live case trainings and skills labs align renowned…