Plastic Surgery
Plastic surgery, encompassing cosmetic and reconstructive surgery,
is a rapidly growing specialty experiencing double-digit growth.
Cosmetic surgery is performed to reshape normal structures of the
body in order to improve the patient's appearance and self-esteem
and is paid for by the patient. Reconstructive surgery is performed
on abnormal structures of the body, caused by congenital defects,
developmental abnormalities, trauma, infection, tumors or disease.
Use of ODISsey can be a critical aid to the success of plastic
surgical procedures using flaps or grafts of tissue, and involving
reattachment of severed limbs or digits. To survive, flaps and reattachments
must receive adequate blood flow and oxygen; therefore tissue blood
supply and local tissue oxygenation are critical parameters to assess
and monitor viability.
Clinical Value:
Causes of surgical failure include poor flap design or violation
of the blood supply to the flap, post-operative edema or hematoma
formation causing pressure on the flap and leading to necrosis,
or post-operative thrombosis which compromises the blood supply.
ODISsey permits accurate real–time assessment of tissue hypoxia,
and thrombosis. This critical information can be used for
disease diagnosis and intra and post surgical monitoring, permitting
immediate intervention, if needed, to reduce complications and improve
outcomes.
Intraoperative Application: The ODISsey
system is the ideal tool since it provides real-time information
during the operation. The surgeon uses a handheld sensor that is
directly applied on the area of potential viability problems. The
surgeon can make an immediate assessment of the local oxygen and
blood circulation to decide whether that tissue should be trimmed
off to avoid complications or preserved with a good chance of success.
Post-operative monitoring: Tissue viability
is also a major concern after surgery in flaps and reattachment
of severed body parts. ODISsey can be used to monitor for post-operative
complications such as thrombosis or necrosis.
Economic Value:
Mean cost for reconstructive patients with major complications is
almost double the cost for patients without complications. Costs
for patients with minor complications are 50 % more expensive on
average than for patients without complications.
Note: Some of the applications
discussed in the Application and Future Applications section are
for research purposes only. |