November 26, 2004
By LIDIA WASOWICZ, UPI Senior Science Writer
DEVICE CAN PREVENT SURGICAL BURNS
New technology from Encision Inc. of Boulder, Colo., can help protect patients from dangerous burns associated with laparoscopic surgery. Some 5 percent of patients who undergo laparoscopic surgery, a minimally invasive technique that has reduced time under anesthesia and speeded recovery from abdominal surgery, suffer accidental electrosurgical burns that may lead to infections and potentially fatal complications. The Active Electrode Monitoring Technology continuously monitors the surgical instrument during the procedure to eliminate stray burns. Some 4.4 million laparoscopic surgeries are performed annually in the United States, says Jack Serino, chief executive officer of Encision, maker of the AEM technology.