Fast and reliable Ferromagnetic vessel sealer launched for all Laparoscopic surgeries

Domain surgical recently announced the launch of FMsealer Laparoscopic Shears, the latest addition to its FMX Ferromagnetic Surgical System. The FMsealer Laparoscopic Shears seal the vessels in half the time as compared to bipolar and ultrasonic shears.

The sealers work on the principles of ferromagnetic surgical energy offering faster surgical transection and minimal thermal impact to surrounding tissue. It has a patented active cooling system that ensures localization of heat in the jaws and provides a rapid cool down following deactivation. It also does not transmit electric current to the patient, making it safe to operate near metal staples, clips, and instruments.

Bipolar, ultrasonic and Ferromagnetic energies 

The surgeon can change between ‘seal’, ‘seal and divide’ and ‘high-power seal and divide’ modes easily based on different tissue interactions. It efficiently seals vessels up to and including 7 mm in diameter, including lymphatics in both open and laparoscopic procedures.

The FMsealer was found effective in the clinical trial and fared better in terms of thermal impact, sealing larger vessels and patient safety as compared to bipolar and ultrasonic sealers. The study was published in the Journal of Surgical Laparoscopy, Endoscopy & Percutaneous Techniques in 2017.

OmniGuide, Inc.’s CEO John Buhler said, “The FMsealer provides surgeons with an optimal combination of reliability, efficiency, customization, and safety in a variety of laparoscopic procedures, without passing potentially dangerous electrical current through the patient.”

Here is the video of FMsealer during a Laparoscopic Toupet Fundoplication procedure.

OmniGuide press release

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ACOG updates its recommendations on Influenza Vaccination During Pregnancy

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) updated it committee opinion on influenza vaccination in pregnancy and post-exposure prophylaxis. This was published April 2018 and replaces Committee Opinion Number 608, September 2014.

This updated committee opinion is based on data that showed that only 54% of pregnant women in the USA were vaccinated during the 2016-2017 influenza season. This number needs to be worked on as the U.S. Health and Human Services’ Healthy People 2020 goal is vaccinating 80% of pregnant women against influenza.

Pregnant women are particularly susceptible to influenza infection and its resulting morbidities; therefore, influenza vaccination is an integral element of pre-pregnancy, prenatal, and postpartum care.

ACOG makes the following recommendations:

1) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and ACOG recommend that all adults receive an annual influenza vaccine. In addition, women who are pregnant or will be pregnant during the influenza season receive an inactivated influenza vaccine as soon as it is available.

2) Any of the licensed, recommended, inactivated influenza vaccine is safe during any trimester. Obstetrician-gynecologists and other health care providers should play an active part in counseling all pregnant women about the safety of influenza vaccine in pregnancy and its importance in protecting the newborn against the flu because of passive immunity.

3) It is recommended that every Obstetrician-gynecologist must get a flu vaccine every year and keep a stock of the vaccines in her office. If she is unable to provide the vaccination services, she should refer the patient to other provider, pharmacies or hospitals.

4) Patients who are allergic to egg and have had only hives can receive any licensed and recommended influenza vaccine that is otherwise appropriate for their age and health status.

5) In case the allergy symptoms are more serious than hives, the vaccine should be administered in an inpatient or outpatient medical setting including hospitals, clinics and physician offices.

6) Patients with flu-like illness should be started on antiviral medications, presuming it to be influenza. The provider should start the antiviral treatment based on clinical evaluation and not solely rely on the lab results.

7) All the office and hospital staff should also be encouraged to receive an influenza vaccine every year.

8) All pregnant women and women who are up to 2 weeks postpartum exposed to influenza virus because of close contact with an influenza patient should be started on post-exposure antiviral chemoprophylaxis (75 mg of oseltamivir once daily for 10 days). If oseltamivir is unavailable, zanamivir can be substituted, two inhalations once daily for 10 days.

Committee opinion

 Media courtesy: March of Dimes

ISUOG International Symposium announces one day Basic training in comprehensive obstetrical scan

The International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology (ISUOG) is pleased to announce one-day Basic Training approach to a comprehensive obstetrical scan at the ISUOG International Symposium in Athens on Friday, 20th April 2018.

The course will introduce you to basic principles of doing the ultrasound in obstetrics and gynecology and is useful for all entry-level healthcare professionals interested in doing the obstetric ultrasound.

The course in both onsite and live stream. If you cannot be physically present at the symposium than the recordings will be available to all course delegates for 1 month after the course to re-watch or catch up with any content.

View the program here.

This will be followed by ISUOG Fetal Anomalies course taking place 21 April 2018. Highlights of the course include live scans, reviews of the most common fetal anomalies and a picture and video quiz led by our international faculty. Live stream delegates can attend in real time and get involved with the course by asking questions and participating in the quiz!