Tides Medical announced that it has formed the Louisiana Initiative for Transplant (LIFT).

The mission of LIFT is to partner with hospitals, clinicians and expectant mothers to coordinate the donation of placental tissue following live-birth cesarean sections.

A single donated placenta can be used to enhance the health of more than 100 patients suffering from chronic wounds, musculoskeletal injuries, eye conditions and a variety of other health problems.

Through collaboration with Women’s & Children’s Hospital, LIFT recovered its first placental donation in December 2016. Kathy Bobbs, president and chief executive officer for Women’s & Children’s Hospital stated, “We are pleased to be on the cutting edge of medical technology and to be partnered with a local Louisiana company like Tides Medical.”

Dr. Erin Hemsell, OB-GYN with Acadiana Women’s Health Group, was the obstetrician for the first donor and stated, “My patient was excited to be able to donate her placenta that would otherwise be discarded in order to enhance the lives of others.”

Donated placental tissues make up an emerging medical technology that enhances the health of hundreds of thousands of patients across the country each year. Tides Medical built a tissue bank to safely process and distribute tissues in early 2016.

Prior to the foundation of LIFT, the company acquired placentas from an out-of-state tissue bank. Isabella Sledge, M.D., cofounder and Vice President of Research at Tides Medical said, “We are proud to be the catalyst for bringing a new biotechnology industry to Acadiana and the State of Louisiana.”

Tides Medical, a privately funded medical technology firm located in Lafayette, LA, is a leader in birth tissue technology.

The company’s focus is on providing patients with safe, effective therapies, on supplying physicians with reliable products and service, and on supporting distributors and hospitals with reliable inventory and personalized attention. Contact Tides Medical today for more information about the most advanced products in regenerative medicine.