Surgical technology international
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Standardization of the intraoperative neuromonitoring (IONM) technique is an essential aspect of modern monitored thyroid surgery. The standardized technique involves vagal nerve stimulation. VN stimulation is useful for technical problem solving, detecting non-recurrent laryngeal nerve (non-RLN), recognizing any recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) lesions, and precisely predicting RLN postoperative function. Herein, we present technical notes for the VN identification to achieve the critical view of safety of the VN stimulation with or without dissection.
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Tourniquets provide a bloodless field in limb operations and their introduction in orthopaedic operative technique has been considered as a landmark. A new tourniquet device, a silicone ring tourniquet (SRT) (HemaClear or S-MART, OHK Medical Devices, Haifa, Israel), was introduced into clinical practice a few years ago. A few clinical studies as well as comparative studies in volunteers have reported its use in a relatively small number of cases. ⋯ It is sterile, and occupies a narrow area of the limb. Its application combines three functions at the same time: exsanguination, tourniquet, and stockinet application. Although it cannot entirely replace the classic pneumatic tourniquet, it is a safe and useful device in orthopaedic operations because of its advantages.
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Standard sutures used in vaginal cuff reapproximation in total laparoscopic hysterectomies and hysterotomy closure in myomectomies require knot placement and tensioning of the suture throughout the closure. This may contribute to wound dehiscence, increased blood loss, and ischemia of tissue surrounding the knots. In 2004, the United States Food and Drug Administration approved the Quill™ bidirectional barbed suture (Angiotech Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Vancouver, BC, Canada)(Fig. 1). ⋯ The barbs minimize tissue recoil and do so with accurate soft tissue approximation, achieving hemostasis without the use of locking and figure eight sutures. Barbed suture allows for a shorter operative time, as there is an ease of suturing without the complication of knot tying. Barbed sutures are essential tools in the modern laparoscopist's toolbox.