Ultra thin cling film reduces air leaks during lung keyhole surgery
30 June 2010
Leeds-based Tissuemed have launched a new adhesive film for
reducing air leaks during lung operations by keyhole surgery.
Tissuemed launched the world’s first ‘surgical cling film’
designed for minimising leaks during surgical procedures in 2007.
The new product, TissuePatchThoracic, is an ultra thin adhesive
film, which is more resilient and more conformable to the tissues,
and possesses improved handling characteristics compared with its
predecessor.
In addition, the range now incorporates sizes and accompanying
instruments that enable surgeons to use the product in keyhole
procedures, known as Video Assisted Thoracic Surgery (VATS).
TissuePatchThoracic has been specifically designed to enable
thoracic surgeons seal internal air leaks during complicated lung
surgery cases in which part of the lung is resected, most commonly
for tumour removal. Surgical resection lines are usually closed with
staples, and the addition of TissuePatchThoracic adhesive film over
these staple lines provides the surgeon with reassurance that air
will not leak through the tissue and between the staples.
Published data suggests that 70% of lung surgeries result in air
leaks and 15% of these can be prolonged and problematic. If the
surgeon can reduce the number and duration of air leaks, patients
can have surgical drains removed more quickly, suffer fewer
complications and be discharged from hospital more quickly.
The new patch is also able to be inserted into surgical sites
using a bespoke VATS delivery system, which uses a cleverly designed
loading device to take the patch directly from the packaging into a
delivery tube in one easy, direct movement, ready to be dispensed
directly onto the target area.
TissuePatchThoracic works by bonding to proteins on the surface
of internal organs and tissues, enhancing traditional suture or
staple line closure and supporting healing tissues. The product
requires no advance preparation and is easy to apply to often
complex tissue surfaces.
Mr Kostas Papagiannopoulos, Consultant Thoracic Surgeon from St
James’s Hospital in Leeds, UK said, “I’ve used the new product and
it represents an improvement over the original. It’s stronger,
softer and ultimately conforms to lung tissues better.”
Tissuemed CEO Nick Woods said, “Surgeons always tell me that air
leaks are always a problem in thoracic surgery. With the
introduction of TissuePatchThoracic we believe we have addressed the
key challenge of providing a solution that is easy to use, effective
and economically justifiable. Reducing time in hospital is better
for patients and represents a significant potential cost saving, all
important in these days of squeezed budgets and efficiency
measures.”
“We’ve listened closely to thoracic surgeons so it is with a
great deal of confidence that we will be showcasing this product at
this year’s congress. The technology is based on our successful
TissuePatch3 platform, so it’s far from being an unproven
technology. The product requires no preparation and provides instant
results in surgery. Coupled with the new VATS instrumentation and
the strong economic arguments for resolving air leaks we believe
uptake of TissuePatchThoracic will be significant.”