DEVICES

Reducing blood transfusion requirements in preterm infants by a new device: a pilot study.

Acta Paediatr. 2008 Oct 13. [Epub ahead of print] The use of ErythroSave for sampling blood significantly reduced blood transfusion requirements in premature infants compared to sampling by conventional syringes.

[Innovative application of radiofrequency in hepatic surgery. Preliminary experience]

Chir Ital. 2008 Jul-Aug;60(4):555-61. Italian. This new application of radiofrequency-assisted liver resection seems to be effective and safe and may afford a number of advantages (no blood loss, short resection time. etc.) in selected cases.

Usefulness of Kelly clamp crushing technique during hepatic resection.

HPB (Oxford). 2008;10(4):281-4.

Reductions in blood loss with a bipolar sealer in total hip arthroplasty.

Expert Rev Med Devices. 2008 Mar;5(2):125-131. Total blood loss in the bipolar sealer group was decreased by 40% and transfusions were reduced by 73%. There was a significant reduction in the intra- and postoperative blood loss, p = 0.002 and p = 0.001, respectively. There was no difference in clinical hip scores between groups. The bipolar sealer was an effective coagulation alternative for total hip arthroplasties, reducing blood loss and transfusion requirements without affecting outcome.

High-power (80 W) potassium titanyl phosphate laser prostatectomy in 128 high-risk patients.

Postgrad Med J. 2008 Jan;84(987):46-9. 80 W KTP laser prostatectomy is a virtually bloodless, safe and effective procedure for men with high cardiovascular or pulmonary risk or bleeding disorders or taking oral anticoagulant medication

Radiofrequency-assisted liver resection.

Surg Oncol. 2007 Nov 28; [Epub ahead of print] Cool-Tip RF device provides a unique, simple and safe method of bloodless liver resections and is indicated in cirrhotic patients with challenging hepatectomies (segment VIII, central resections).

Virtually Bloodless Laparoscopic Liver Resection of Recurrent Hepatoma With a New Laparoscopic Sealer Device: Report of Our Initial Laparoscopic Experience.

Tissue preserving hepatectomy by a vessel sealing device.
J Surg Oncol. 2007 Sep 4; [Epub ahead of print] A new technique for liver parenchyma transection using the Atlas modification of the ligasure vessel sealing system. This alternative technique of dividing the hepatic parenchyma seems to be simple and efficacious in preventing significant blood loss and bile leak in minor liver resections.

Reducing blood loss in total joint surgery with a saline-coupled bipolar sealing technology.
J Arthroplasty. 2007 Jun;22(4 Suppl 1):82-5. The use of this technology has been shown to effectively minimize the risk of transfusion and reduce intraoperative and postoperative bleeding-related complications.

Experience with TissueLinktrade mark - Radiofrequency-Assisted Parenchymal Division.
Dig Surg. 2007;24(4):318-21. Epub 2007 Jul 27. The TissueLink is an acceptable tool for use in hepatic transection and may result in less blood loss and lower transfusion rates than conventional methods of transection.

Bloodless liver resection using radiofrequency energy.
Dig Surg. 2007;24(4):314-7. Epub 2007 Jul 27. The radiofrequency-assisted liver resection technique offers hepatobiliary surgeons an additional method for performing liver resections with minimal blood loss, low transfusion requirement, and low morbidity and mortality rates.

A radiofrequency-assisted minimal blood loss liver parenchyma dissection technique.
Dig Surg. 2007;24(4):306-13. The 'sequential coagulate-cut' RF-assisted liver resection technique is a safe liver transection technique associated with minimal blood loss and it has facilitated tissue-sparing liver resection

Emergent pelvic fixation in patients with exsanguinating pelvic fractures.
J Am Coll Surg. 2007 May;204(5):935-9. Both 24-hour (4.9 versus 17.1 U, p < 0.0001) and 48-hour transfusions (6.0 versus 18.6 U, p < 0.0001) were reduced with pelvic orthotic device POD. The therapeutic shift to POD has substantially reduced transfusion requirements and length of hospital stay, and has reduced mortality in patients with unstable pelvic fractures. POD has made a major contribution to the care of critically injured patients with the most severe pelvic fractures.

Radical cystectomy for urothelial cancer of the bladder: contemporary advances.
Minerva Urol Nefrol. 2007 Mar;59(1):99-107. Devices such as vascular staplers and ligasure have decreased the blood loss and the need for transfusion.

Clinical Utility of Double-Balloon Enteroscopy for Small Intestinal Bleeding.
Dig Dis Sci. 2007 Apr 5; [Epub ahead of print] Double-balloon enteroscopy can be used to diagnose suspected small intestinal bleeding and to treat some cases, such as angiodysplasia

Bloodless hepatic resection with automatic bipolar radiofrequency generator and multielectrode device.
Minim Invasive Ther Allied Technol. 2007;16(1):66-72. Coagulation with SURTRON SB (an incremental, bipolar radiofrequency generator and a probe with six in-line needles) allows a feasible, easy and safe bloodless liver resection. This method is tolerated with no systemic complication or adverse reaction. This technique offers a method for a bloodless hepatic transection without the need for sutures, ties, staples or tissue glue.

Current role of bloodless liver resection.
World J Gastroenterol. 2007 Feb 14;13(6):826-9. Liver resections are demanding operations which can have life threatening complications although they are performed by experienced liver surgeons. Recently new technologies are applied in the field of liver surgery, having one goal: safer and easier liver operations. The aim of this article is to address the issue of bloodless liver resection using radiofrequency energy. FULL TEXT