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Use a smoke evacuator or filter
For some surgeons, the idea of using a smoke evacuator isn't
appealing, as they see it as cumbersome and noisy. Plus, they
may already be using a simple and affordable option to clear smoke
out of the abdomen during cases.
"I open up the valve on the trocar, and the smoke comes out," says
David Renton, MD, FACS, assistant professor of general surgery at
The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus.
"There are filters out there, but smoke evacuators just sound like a jet
engine behind you."
The increasing concern around the dangers of inhaling surgical
smoke has more facilities seeking better alternatives.
"We have a false sense of security we're not hurting the patient,"
says Vangie Dennis, BSN, RN, CNOR, CMLSO, director of patient
care practice, ambulatory surgery services at Emory Healthcare in
Atlanta, Ga. "Plenty
of studies show that
it bonds with hemo-
globin and can give
them symptoms
related to increased
levels of carbon
dioxide." To help
prevent these
effects, Ms. Dennis
points to several
active and passive
devices meant to
remove and filter
smoke out of the
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"The best thing is to prep the scope. Even
something as simple as wrapping it with a
warm towel so it doesn't go cold will help."
— Vangie Dennis, BSN, RN, CNOR, CMLSO
