Outpatient Surgery Magazine

Wake Up to the Dangers of Sleep Apnea - October 2018 - Subscribe to Outpatient Surgery Magazine

Outpatient Surgery Magazine, providing current information on Surgical Services, Surgical Facility Administration, Outpatient Surgery News and Trends, OR Excellence and more.

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"With a battery-powered tool, you're less encumbered in terms of what position you're in," says Dr. Farber. "If you're near the end of the length of the cord, it can pull the instrument while you're using it and it can change the direction of your hand." On the other hand, batteries don't hold their charge very long and they're not immune to problems. What if there's no indicator on the battery to know if it's good and still holding its charge? What if a bat- tery you left on the charger last night is still dead in the morning? "Sometimes you end up opening a lot of batteries to find one that's good," says Dr. Farber, adding that a battery should hold its charge for a whole case, long enough to saw and place 8 to 10 screws. There is also a pneumatic power option, which requires hose con- nections to a tank of compressed nitrogen or is integrated into the OR gas system. The downside of pneumatic power is your surgeon is reliant on the proper gas settings and pressurization. "It offers a little more power than electric," says Dr. Farber. "It's better than battery, but maybe not quite as smooth as electric." • Cost. Cost is a major factor in purchasing power tools, and the smaller sets can be around $25,000, not including disposable bits and blades (which can run $150 to $200 each), backup batteries and other accessories. But cost isn't the only factor. When weighing choices and presenting options to surgeons, be sure to consider the details beyond the expense. OSM O C T O B E R 2 0 1 8 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y. N E T • 1 0 7

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