Surgical Smoke Blog

Including ISO standards in evacuation policies so that compliance of their staff will advance the goal of a smoke free operating room.

Is the price too high for effective protection of the health of your surgical team? If you answered No, then you are rightfully concerned.

Can effective bioaerosol capture be considered an adjunctive method of infection control?

The time to choose is now!

The phrase, “smoke evacuation” is DEAD!  It died when the coronavirus arrived. As elective surgery was pushed aside to prepare for increased medical hospital admissions, epidemiologists were questioning the pathogenicity of bioaerosols.

Thanks to Covid-19, our focus has shifted from removal of surgical smoke to capturing as many bioaerosols as technology allows.

The principles of aerosol control learned in the hospital setting should work as well for the aircraft environment.

A Simpler Solution for Increased Safety of the COVID-19 Caregiver

Nascent Surgical has expanded the usefulness of its highly effective aerosol capture device which is currently used to remove surgical plume. The alternative use is for protection of the healthcare worker that cares for the hospitalized, isolated COVID-19 patient.

I’ve recently been involved in a number of clinical trials of our “miniSquair® surgical smoke and bioaerosol capture device. It is a component of a smoke evacuation “system” which consists of the smoke capture device (the ESU “pencil” or the miniSquair®), a length of flexible tubing, an ULPA filter and a smoke…

The achievement of capturing and removing surgical plume has proven to be an evolutionary and not a revolutionary effort. The journey from a simple vacuum hose to a stylized electrosurgical (“ESU”) “pencil” to a transformative cell foam-based flat plenum or pad placed close to the wound, has taken thirty-three (33) years to…

The electrosurgical unit (ESU) “pencil” has had two decades to gain the favor of clinicians. Despite this lengthy period of use, surgeons have balked because of its interference with their ability to see the tip of the dissecting monopolar electrode, fatigue from the torque imposed on their hand by the embedded tubing…

The electrosurgical unit (“ESU”) “pencil” wars are heating up now that both the short and long-term health hazards caused by inhaling surgical plume have been accepted1,2. Perioperative nursing groups and various industry leaders have led the way in educational efforts aimed at clinicians, hospital administrators and even state politicians. Covidien, Stryker, Conmed…

Prior writings have revealed our belief that the meaning of the term, “smoke evacuation” has evolved well beyond meaning a method for capture of trace gases and particulates produced as a result of pyrolysis of tissue. As our teachings indicate, based upon third party testing of our miniSQUAIR,1 we now know that…

As a few of you may have noticed (probably very few), I have not posted a blog for about 2-3 months. This absence reflected another of my functions; that of assistant to my Nat’l Sales Manager, Mr. Gary Haugen. Apparently, hospital administrators, in their search for value-based services and products, have started…

For the past few months we have focused our comments on data to support education of clinicians who have been reluctant to accept, let alone advocate for, smoke evacuation technology in their operating rooms. As a result of our literature reviews and original research, sponsored by Nascent Surgical, LLC at world class…

The other day my accountant came by to “do the books” and left a sheath of papers on my desk held together by a big metallic clip at the top. “Here are the results of my internet search for ‘clean air’ articles. You should look them over.” Naturally, since my CPA is…

It’s a Saturday morning. I just finished my second cup of strong coffee and my reading of an “Opinion” article in the Wall Street Journal describing “…Dr. Stossel, a hematologist and medical researcher…who is reawakening the conflict of interest argument.” During my surgical residency, my own research was supported by private companies…

My team and I were sitting around our small conference table (actually my former dining room table) in our 10’ x 10’ conference room trying to understand the slow pace of domestic sales versus the much more frenetic pace of overseas sales. Ponder as we might, we could not understand why our…

Hi folks, No doubt you have missed my ramblings these past few weeks but my focus has shifted to sales efforts that emphasized the education of clinicians regarding the current arguments for why they should prioritize smoke removal from the operating room. No surprises there! As I presented my power point slides…

We are a start-up company that sells a single product. It is called, “miniSquair®” and its purpose is to capture plume generated during open surgical procedures. It does this very well with a documented 99.5% efficiency assuming that the smoke evacuator to which it is attached can generate a minimum of 25…

We recently completed the yearly pilgrimage to AORN EXPO held in Denver. The weather was fantastic, the venue perfect thanks to AORN planning and the participants were engaged. The meeting had all the elements for success except that I didn’t see much innovation as I traversed the aisles of exhibits. Where were…

It is no secret that the federal government has increasingly been shifting risk associated with patient care to the hospitals through reduced reimbursements should surgical complications occur. These bureaucrats do not understand that such post-operative complications are most often inherent and not the result of clinical incompetence or technical errors. For example,…

So far, we have reviewed the harmful components of surgical smoke, the fact that chronic inhalation can cause systemic diseases and that federal and professional guidelines have not been sufficient to initiate universal protection for the perioperative team. Let’s examine this dissociation between reality and responsibility. As stated, it is the chronic…

To date, I have detailed my personal evolution from a surgeon who could not endure inhaling the smoke that resulted from my practice to one dedicated to resolving the problem for myself and others. I hope that as you have read these blogs, you have become energized to pursue your own solutions…

Designing a surgical device can be simple or difficult, inexpensive or costly. It depends on individual prototyping capabilities or a desire to work with a professional. Before you do either, however, first get a napkin or an envelope and start sketching. In our case, we made our initial design on the back…

When we began our journey, we said that our goal was to eliminate chronic inhalation of smoke plume that is produced in our operating rooms. Easier said than done since we have not achieved the goal after thirty (30) years of effort. The end-point has been elusive because, until recently, such a…

I’m waiting for my wife, Michele, to return home after her day’s work as an operating room nurse involved in robotic surgery. Which reminds me, in my previous blog, I said that I would discuss the laparoscopic phase of my career as a general surgeon so while I wait, please join my…