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.”

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