ADVER TISEMENT FEA TURE
A surgeon’s perspective: improving patient safety and processes in thoracic surgery
Look into any thoracic surgery room and you will find a wide assortment of instruments and tools. This is due to the manifold procedures that take place within these operating theatres: thoracic surgeons perform everything from lung transplants to tumor removals and bronchoscopies. Infection prevention and control are crucial during all these procedures to safeguard patient, and physician, safety.
Bronchoscopies carry a high risk of infection, making sterile and accessible instruments extremely important. Infections can stem from several sources, including staff clothing and the equipment used during procedures. To ensure the clean and safe use of these bronchoscopes rigorous cleaning and high-level disinfection is paramount. At the same time, single-use bronchoscopes are unmissable in thoracic surgery rooms and Intensive Care Units (ICUs). They are ready-to-use and address the main areas of concern for potential infection risk: the distal tip/elevator, the valves, and the channels. No hospital sterilization is needed, which optimizes workflows, and potential vulnerabilities in the reprocessing of reusable scopes are avoided. Adding such single-use consumables to the existing endoscopy suite of reusable and semi-disposable solutions, allows physicians to make smarter choices - for themselves, their patients and the planet.
Dr. Łukasz Gąsiorowski is a thoracic surgeon and didactic professor at the Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poland. He uses the PENTAX Medical ONE Pulmo™ single-use bronchoscope in his operating theater, which was developed to enhance infection prevention without compromising on high-quality pulmonary care. This bronchoscope is especially useful for situations where a risk patient is involved – either immunocompromised or with a disease. We spoke to Dr. Gąsiorowski about the role of this bronchoscope in his thoracic surgery room.
From a surgeon’s perspective, how do single-use flexible bronchoscopes, like PENTAX Medical ONE Pulmo™, contribute to improving patient safety and processes in thoracic surgery?
In thoracic surgery, we have to perform a lot of surgeries during the day, but complications frequently occur at night or on the weekends. Which is when the availability of an endoscopy suite is limited. Because we can use single-use bronchoscopes freely, we can work faster and be more safe, especially in terms of cross contamination. This means that both processes and patient safety are improved.
How important is suction performance of the scope for your work in thoracic surgery?
The suction performance of the scope is really important because we have a lot of patients with Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, meaning they have a high sputum retention which can contribute to the occurrence of atelectasis. The sputum is often very thick, which makes it difficult to suction it all out, especially if you have a small scope. With the PENTAX Medical ONE Pulmo™ single-use bronchoscope, the suction power is very good and it allows us to clear out the entire bronchial tree of the secretions.
Dr. Łukasz Gąsiorowski using the ONE Pulmo™ at the Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poland.
What is your general conclusion about the effectiveness of PENTAX Medical ONE Pulmo™ after having used it?
After having used the PENTAX Medical ONE Pulmo™ single-use bronchoscope for several occasions, I’ve been extremely happy with it. First of all I would say it’s very similar to a regular PENTAX Medical scope that we normally use. And I think it’s a major advantage, because this means there is no learning curve. You simply put it in and it just behaves like a normal scope. Secondly, it’s widely available. I just need to take it out of the cover and connect it to the table. Thirdly, what’s really important for me, is the quality of the picture. I can record either a still image or I can record a short video of, let’s say, a bronchial fistula or any atelectasis and put it into my medical record system. Finally, there is also no worry about reprocessing of the scope.
Thoracic surgery is a highly diverse field, with a variety of procedures that can take place. This makes the Power of Choice incredibly important, whereby doctors can assess each situation individually. They must be able to choose what instrument is best for the patient on a case-by-case basis – be it single-use, semi-disposable or reusable solutions. Empowering doctors with a variety of innovative endoscopic solutions, such as the PENTAX Medical ONE Pulmo™, lies at the core of PENTAX Medical’s mission. PENTAX Medical is committed to address the hygiene challenges in endoscopy by offering solutions that minimize risks of infection, improve clinical outcomes, enhance provider experience, and increase healthcare productivity, all the while incorporating sustainable thinking in every aspect of its value chain.
Scan the QR code
to find more information about patient safety in endoscopy on PENTAX Medical’s podcast or on PENTAX Medical’s hygiene commitment webpage.
Podcast Webpage
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