Mechanical Hemostasis
This is applied using the hand or digit, sponge or "packs".
What is Pressure?
These devices use electrical currents through the patient's tissue to cut or coagulate the tissue.
What are ESU, electrosurgery? (eg. monopolar and bipolar)
This is available in a compacted nonwoven web form or loose, fibrous, powdery form. eg. Avitene
What is microbibrillar collagen?
Here at MGH, they come in two sizes, 18x18 or 18x36, used to pad tissue and organs as well as absorb fluids.
What are Laparotomy Pads?
These drains come in different sizes and are used for drainage, as traction or as a tourniquet. They work passively with gravity into the dressing and is placed close to the incision.
What are penrose drains?
These are small staple-like devices that are placed around the lumen of a vessel or structure.
What is Ligating Clips?
This is used to cut and/or coagulate tissue using concentrated beam of light.
What is a LASER?
This will hold 7-8x its weight in blood producing a clot and comes in guaze and cotton form.
What is oxidized cellulose or surgical?
These should NOT be used for wound dressing!
What are 4x4's? (Raytec)
These are used to administer meds, gastric decompression or short term feeding.
What are Nasogastric tubes?
Name of the category of instrument that is used to compress blood vessels and hold a small amount of tissue.
What is a hemostat?
This method achieved as current is delivered to tissue in a directed beam of ionized argon gas.
What is ABC? (Argon Beam Coagulator)
This sponge swells, forming a clot, and absorbs 40-50x its weight and used with thrombin, saline or dry.
What is gelfoam, absorbable gelatin sponge?
Commonly used for surgery in the throat, these are double-strung for use in tight spaces.
What are tonsil sponges?
This is used as a common bile duct drain through the abdominal wall.
What is a T-Tube?
Also known as a tie, it is a strand of material that is ties around a blood vessel to occlude the lumen and prevent bleeding.
What is a ligature?
This process uses localized freezing of targeted tissue at -20C to -60C.
What is cryosurgery? (eg. used to remove skin lesions or tissue of cervix, liquid nitrogen)
This is described as a surgical tissue adhesive that is derived from human and animal blood products that is used to control bleeding, seal off hollow body organs, and to cover holes made by sutures.
What are fibrin sealants, eg. tisseal, floseal?
These are used on delicate structures such as the nerves, brain, and spinal cord and come in a variety of sizes.
What are neuro-patties?
This drain uses gentle suction to drain fluid from the operative site.
What are suction drains? (eg. JP, hemovac)
This is a non-absorbable suture support that is used when there is a possibility of sutures tearing through tissue.
What is a pledget?
This instrument is used to cut and cauterize tissue using ultrasonic vibrations.
What is the harmonic scalpel?
This method of hemostasis includes chemicals that cause the blood vessels to constrict.
What are styptics, eg. epinephrine, silver nitrate/
These are used for blunt dissection and have a few different names.
What are peanuts, poms, kittners, cherry dissectors?
This drain is a conduit for drainage of air, blood and fluid from the pleural space or mediastinal space and reestablishes negative pressure in the pleural space.
What are chest tubes?