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O R T H O P E D I C S
be quickly sucked
dry and distention
lost. Suddenly you've
got a lot of bleeding
to deal with.
Bleeding limits a
surgeon's view of
the joint, which
interrupts the entire
procedure. "You're
COMFORT ZONE The right arthroscopy platno longer proceedform lets surgeons operate more aggressively.
ing with the case,
you're trying to get your visualization back," says Dr. Rud. "It can turn
a 20-minute procedure into an hour-long surgery."
Maintaining a stable operative site also lets surgeons operate more
aggressively and quickly. "Being able to see what you're doing is obviously a critical element of surgery," says Dr. Rud. "If you're not sure
what you're looking at because you're dealing with a cloud of blood,
you're certainly less likely to start burring away bone."
Most of Dr. Rud's younger partners like to use hand controls to
operate pumps, but he still prefers the tactile feel of using a foot pedal
to regulate pressure levels. A system that has both options available
would be a versatile platform to add.
Automatic pumps can sense when distention pressure is dropping
and adjust accordingly, including recognizing when burrs and shavers
are in use. Dr. Rud likes the idea of a pump working, along with a few
manual adjustments, to help maintain distention pressure.
Different pump manufacturers have different recommended pressure levels. "You're always concerned with setting pressure too high,
which can cause extravasation of the tissue and swell the joint,"
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O U T PAT I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E O N L I N E | N O V E M B E R 2013
