Endoscopic Powder: A Game-Changer in Haemostasis for Minimally Invasive Surgery
Securing haemostasis effectively is essential for positive surgical outcomes. It not only limits blood loss during surgery but also lowers risks of transfusion and complications after the procedure. In minimally invasive surgeries like laparoscopy or endoscopy, controlling bleeding is especially challenging due to limited space, visibility, and anatomical intricacy.
As more procedures move toward minimally invasive methods, there’s a greater demand for flexible, effective bleeding control solutions when traditional methods aren’t enough.
Challenges of Haemostasis in Minimally Invasive Surgery
Minimally invasive surgery provides advantages including faster healing and minimal scarring, but also presents new obstacles for bleeding control. However, these benefits come with the challenge of difficult bleeding management. Reduced access, poor visualisation, and no sense of touch make handling bleeding in MIS more difficult.
Conventional techniques like suturing, tying off vessels, or cauterization can be difficult to use during MIS. That’s where topical haemostatic agents, especially endoscopic powder, come into play as vital adjuncts to improve visibility, control oozing, and speed up procedures.
Understanding Surgi-ORC® Endoscopic Powder
Surgi-ORC® endoscopic powder is a standout, plant-derived, absorbable haemostat with robust clinical backing. ORC was first introduced in 1943 in sheet form and has since evolved to meet the demands of modern MIS through powder formulations.
Why Surgi-ORC®-Based Endoscopic Powder Stands Out
• Effective Haemostasis: ORC facilitates platelet adhesion and aggregation to accelerate clotting
• Conformability: The powder’s granular shape adapts to wounds, covering both large and deep surfaces
• No Animal Content: Plant origin means reduced risk of allergic or infectious complications
• Bactericidal Properties: Acidic environment inhibits bacterial growth
• Biocompatible and Absorbable: Completely resorbed by the body with no cytotoxic effects, even near nerves or vessels
With these properties, Surgi-ORC® endoscopic powder is perfect for mild-to-moderate bleeding, particularly from capillaries, veins, or small arteries in hard-to-reach areas.
Optimizing Application with Delivery Devices in MIS
How the powder is delivered greatly influences its effectiveness in surgery. In MIS, bellows pump-based applicators are widely used to deliver endoscopic powder with accuracy and control.
Operation of Endoscopic Powder Applicators
These applicators—resembling syringe-like devices—are equipped with short or long applicator tips designed to deliver the powder through laparoscopic ports or trocars. The bellows mechanism lets surgeons deposit powder accurately without blocking the field of view.
Maximizing Effectiveness: Usage Tips
• Device Orientation: The angle of application (vertical/horizontal) affects how the powder spreads—often more than compression speed
• Powder Properties: The grain size and flowability, plus moisture sensitivity, impact delivery
• Application Style: The surgeon’s technique and compression force also influence powder delivery
Where Endoscopic Powder Excels in Practice
In cases where visibility is poor or anatomy is complex, endoscopic powder becomes an Endoscopic Powder essential tool. Its flexible form lets it cover both wide wounds and tight spaces with equal efficiency.
Typical Applications:
• Liver resections performed laparoscopically
• Cardiothoracic MIS cases
• Gynaecologic laparoscopic procedures
• Submucosal dissection cases
• Minimally invasive urology surgeries
Using endoscopic powder helps surgeons see better, stop bleeding quicker, and complete operations faster—often with less need for transfusions and better patient outcomes.
Clinical Evidence: Proven Performance of ORC Powder
A postmarket clinical study evaluating SURGICEL® Powder (ORC-based haemostatic agent) in 103 patients undergoing various surgical procedures reported:
• 87.4% of patients had bleeding stopped in 5 minutes; 92.2% within 10 minutes
• Excellent results across open and minimally invasive surgeries
• No complications such as rebleeding, thromboembolism, or side effects reported
• Surgeons found it easy to use, highly effective, and praised the precise delivery with little extra intervention needed
Overall, the data shows SURGICEL® Powder as a safe, effective, and adaptable haemostatic agent—especially when conventional tools aren’t enough.
Summary
As MIS continues to evolve, so does the demand for advanced haemostatic tools. ORC-based endoscopic powders offer surgeons rapid, flexible, and reliable bleeding control options.
No matter the complexity—be it confined spaces, delicate organs, or irregular wounds—ORC endoscopic powder ensures safe, effective bleeding control for today’s surgical demands.
References
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