A D V E R T O R I A L
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Let There Be Light
A simple device made a big difference for this surgeon, his staff and his patients.
A Q&A with John H Marks, MD
makes it different is a switch that activates a powerful
LED light near the tip. It directly lights the tissue you
are manipulating.
Because of that, I no longer worry about hands and heads
dimming my light source. No more headlight-induced
neck pain. Now, when I'm dissecting into the plane
between the external and internal sphincter and between
the mesorectum and puborectalis, I can clearly see what
I'm doing and much more easily stay on the oncology
plane. I'm much less worried about straying into nerves
or blood vessels or the tumor itself. I'm also much more
relaxed and comfortable. It's better for me and for my
patients.
Q
What about economic considerations? Does the
NOVA add a lot to case costs?
A
Just the opposite. Because we do not have to fiddle
with the lights and speculum as much to achieve
exposure, the NOVA has a very favorable economic
impact. It might save us 15 to 30 minutes on the first part
of the procedure, and in the OR, time is money.
Q
Anything else surgical professionals should know?
A
We have a lot of great technology today, including
robots and 4K video. But sometimes the simplest
ideas can still make a very big difference. For open cases
in dark places, this device is definitely worth a try.
E
veryone knows that when surgeons see well, they
do well. A brightly illuminated surgical field
enables safe, efficient, comfortable surgery. But
how is that possible when the surgical field is deep, dark
and cramped, as it is in as in open head and neck, deep
pelvis, mouth, axilla, chest, and rectal surgery cases?
One answer is the Paré NOVA hand-held surgical light
with cautery. Its built-in light allows surgeons to see
exactly what they're working on without straining.
To find out how it works in practice, we asked John H
Marks, MD. He is chief of Colorectal Surgery for Main
Line Health at Lankenau Medical Center near
Philadelphia.
Q
What kind of surgery do you do in your practice?
A
All sorts of laparoscopic and robotic colorectal
surgeries; I've performed over 3000. But we are best
known for our treatment of patients with rectal cancer.
In traditional rectal cancer surgery, one in three patients
ends up with a permanent colostomy. With a special
procedure that we perform laparoscopically called
TATA/taTME, only 7 percent need a permanent bag.
Q
What do you do differently?
A
We perform the first part of the procedure in
NOTES fashion--through the anal opening rather
than from the top down.
Q
That sounds like a difficult space in which to work.
A
It used to be very difficult a few years ago, when our
only illumination came from overhead lights and
surgical headlights.OR lights are subject to obstruction
from hands, heads and specula. We found ourselves
constantly stopping to reposition the speculum to allow
more light into the operative site. Headlights helped, but
over a long procedure they are an ergonomic nightmare.
Q
What changed?
A
Now we have the NOVA. It has made a major
difference for us.
At first glance, the NOVA looks and feels like a
traditional electrosurgical handpiece, with buttons
where you expect for coagulation and cutting. What
IT'S MUCH EASIER TO SEE IN DEEP DARK SPACES WITH THE
NOVA, SAYS SURGEON JOHN MARKS, MD.
NOVA is distributed by Pare Surgical, Centennial, CO: www.pare.net.
