In addition to safety for surgeons and their operating teams, protecting the patient is of paramount importance. The Tisshield™ is made of GE Lexan, allowing it to gently shield patients' tissues against mechanical or heat damage from electrocautery, providing a higher level of deep-tissue protection than previously available.
The Tisshield™ gently retracts delicate organs, as in this liver resection.
Tisshield™can withstand heat from Bovie cauterizzation
Reduce Risks with Tisshield™
The Risks and Costs
The operating room is filled with surgical risks, including the silent threat of percutaneous injury to operating teams, and the broader concern of postoperative infections in patients. Surgical site infections give rise to prolonged stays and over one billion dollars in costs each year.
In addition, hospitals should be concerned about the risk of percutaneous injury faced by their operating teams. The Center for Disease Control states that the cost of each injury ranges from $500-$3000 for direct costs alone - not including lawsuits or additional measures taken after contamination. In the event of HIV or hepatitis infection, the direct costs of treatment can easily approach $1 Million.
C
Risks
Costs
Percutaneous Injury Incidents
If Lawsuit occurs, damages can include:
Reasonable value of time lost
Reasonable value of expenses relating to the injury
Reasonable compensation for pain and suffering, including mental distress
Attorney's fees
Can exceed $1 Million for settlements alone
No Lawsuit:
$500-$3000 per incident for tests and treatments alone
1 to 15 incidents per 100 operations
Up to $45,000 in costs per 100 operations
Surgical Site Infections
Millions of surgical site infections annually
Over $1 Billion in costs yearly
Therefore, it is important to implement safety measures wherever possible. The safety features of Tisshield can help hospitals avoid injury, reducing risk and liability. The bottom line: Tisshield™ can help save thousands of dollars in costs.
Minimize Tissue Trauma
It is estimated that between 500,000 to 1 million wound infections (nosocomial infections) affect 23 million surgical patients each year, resulting in substantial surgery-related costs, disability, and mortality.[1] Careful preservation of blood supply and the gentle handling of tissue can help re-establish the patient’s infection defenses. The repair process involves, among others, the proper choice of suture, needle, and suture technique.[2]
Using safety techniques and devices that promote gentleness and protect tissues can help reduce these risks. The wide surface area of Tisshield™ gently distributes pressure evenly, resulting in over five times (5x) less pressure per inch than forceps, which are frequently used to retract delicate tissues and organs. Moreover, unlike forceps, Tisshield™ prevents surrounding tissues from protruding into the surgical site, shields them from heat, and minimizes the risk of inadvertent damage.
[1] Kernodle, D.S., et al.: Postoperative Infection and Antimicrobial Prophylaxis. In: Mandell, G.L., Bennett, J.E. and Dolin, R. (Eds.): Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. New York: Churchill Livingstone, 2000.
[2] Polk, H., et al.: Principles of Preoperative Preparation. In Townsend, Jr., C.M. et al. (Eds.) Sabiston Textbook of Surgery. The Biological Basis and Modern Surgical Practice. 16 th Ed. Phiadelphia: W.B. Saunders, 2001.
Avoid using forceps to retract delicate organs (Tisshield™ digitally removed to illustrate)
Tisshield™ has over 5x more surface area to safely retract delicate organs (liver resection).
