Cost-effective and versatile solutions for surgical smoke evacuation

The resurgence of COVID-19 has kept safety a foremost concern for healthcare workers, especially for surgical teams in the operating room since most procedures require some cautery device for dissecting tissue. Cauterizing tissue creates smoke, which has been shown to contain carcinogens, bacteria, malignant cells, and viruses. Some patients require urgent surgical attention, so staff must put measures to make it as safe as possible. One of these is surgical smoke evacuation systems.

Existing smoke clearance systems fall under two categories: capital smoke clearance systems and disposable smoke clearance devices. The first are insufflation systems, like AirSeal® and PneumoClear®, that also have smoke clearance capabilities. They are effective, high-performing systems with high upfront costs. Additionally, each usage of these systems requires disposables and therefore creates a secondary utilization cost for the life of the system. The second, disposable smoke clearance devices, are typically less expensive, single-use products with lackluster performance when compared to capital systems.

The VISIMAX® Laparoscopic Smoke Evacuation System harnesses the best of both worlds. VISIMAX® provides high-flow smoke clearance with built-in pneumo pressure protection that can be adjusted to patient-specific smoke clearance level and automatic on/off switch based on pressure in the patient. It connects to equipment already in the O.R. without the need to purchase additional capital equipment.

With the surgical landscape constantly shifting, flexibility is critical. Institutions should consider this when looking to purchase equipment for their operating staff.