For a patient with a life-threatening bowel obstruction who is too frail for major abdominal surgery, the clinical path forward narrows to a grim set of options. Phantom GI, a Tel Aviv-based medical device startup founded last year, is betting that path should include a 20-minute procedure done with a needle, local anesthesia, and an X-ray machine. The company’s investigational system, called PercStoma, is designed to create an ostomy,diverting bowel contents into an external bag,percutaneously, avoiding the trauma of open surgery for a population with few alternatives [PERPLEXITY SONAR PRO BRIEF].
The Clinical Wedge: Inoperable Patients
The company’s initial target is precise and acutely underserved: patients with malignant or other bowel obstructions who are deemed inoperable or unable to tolerate general anesthesia. This clinical need is what co-founder and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Eran Shlomovitz encountered directly in 2023 while treating a patient with malignant bowel obstruction, an experience that reportedly sparked the technology’s development [PERPLEXITY SONAR PRO BRIEF]. The procedural premise is straightforward in concept but complex in execution. Using imaging guidance, a physician would insert a needle through the abdominal wall, place a proprietary stent into the obstructed bowel, and connect it to a standard ostomy appliance. The goal is to convert a multi-hour operation with significant recovery time into an intervention that could be performed at a patient’s bedside [Ynet News, October 2026].
Fueling the First Clinical Steps
In October 2026, Phantom GI closed a $5 million seed round to advance PercStoma from concept toward clinical validation. The round was led by Pitango HealthTech, with participation from RAD Biomed and RUNI Ventures, and will fund the preparation for the device’s first phase of clinical studies in the United States [Citybiz, October 2026]. The funding underscores investor interest in minimally invasive approaches to high-morbidity surgical problems, though the company’s near-term milestones are squarely in the realm of clinical science, not commercial rollout.
The founding team brings together device development and clinical expertise, a necessary blend for navigating the long regulatory pathway ahead.
| Role | Name | Background Note |
|---|---|---|
| CEO | Ido Sadan | 13 years’ experience developing medical devices from concept to clinical study [PERPLEXITY SONAR PRO BRIEF]. |
| Chief Medical Officer | Dr. Eran Shlomovitz | Co-founder; dual specialty in Interventional Radiology and Surgery; treated the index patient [PERPLEXITY SONAR PRO BRIEF]. |
| Chief Scientific Officer | Dr. Eliahu Bekhor | Co-founder; role noted in company coverage [Calcalist Tech, October 2026]. |
The Long Road of Evidence and Adoption
The ambition is significant, but the hurdles are foundational. PercStoma remains an investigational device without regulatory approval from the FDA or other agencies [N24, October 2026]. The coming U.S. studies will need to establish not only the device’s safety,a paramount concern when placing a stent into a potentially compromised bowel,but also its efficacy in reliably decompressing an obstruction and improving patient outcomes. Furthermore, convincing surgeons and interventional radiologists to adopt a fundamentally new technique for a critical procedure represents a profound behavioral and training challenge. The company has cited a potential U.S. patient population of over 100,000 individuals with bowel obstructions annually who could benefit, drawing from broader incidence estimates [PERPLEXITY SONAR PRO BRIEF]. Yet, realizing that potential depends entirely on data the company has yet to generate.
For patients facing a malignant bowel obstruction today, the standard of care is a difficult calculus. When surgery is not an option, management often focuses on palliative measures to control pain and nausea, with procedures like nasogastric tube decompression or endoscopic stenting attempted where anatomy allows. The condition carries a high mortality rate, particularly in its malignant form, and the need for a truly minimally invasive, life-extending intervention is stark and unmet. Phantom GI’s bet is that a percutaneous ostomy could become a new tool in that desperate toolkit. The next twelve months will be defined by the initiation of those first clinical trials, where every data point will either build toward that future or reveal the formidable technical and biological challenges that remain.
Sources
- [PERPLEXITY SONAR PRO BRIEF] Phantom GI company and product overview
- [Ynet News, October 2026] Israeli startup develops 20-minute procedure for patients too sick for surgery | https://www.ynetnews.com/business/article/skp0ob8izl
- [Citybiz, October 2026] Phantom GI Raises $5 Million to Develop Minimally Invasive Ostomy Device
- [Calcalist Tech, October 2026] Israeli startup raises $5 million to rethink one of surgery's most invasive procedures | https://www.calcalistech.com/ctechnews/article/skjuvwsoge
- [N24, October 2026] Phantom GI funding report
- [Haaretz, October 2026] Israeli Startup Developing Minimally Invasive Alternative to Bowel Surgery | https://www.haaretz.com/science-and-health/2026-10-08/ty-article/israeli-startup-developing-minimally-invasive-alternative-to-bowel-surgery/000001a1-1bf5-d3ad-a3b7-bffd3f240000