Low-cost, safe, and effective smoke evacuation device for surgical procedures in the COVID-19 age

Abstract

Background: Smoke is generated by energy-based surgical instruments. The airborne by-products may have potential health implications.

Methods: We developed a simple way to use de conventional surgical evacuator coupled with de electrosurgical pen attached to a 14G bladder catheter for open surgery. It was used in ten prospective patients with breast cancer.

Results: We notice a high reduction in surgical smoke during all breast surgery. A questionnaire was used for all participants of the surgery to answer the impression that they had about the device. The subjective impression was that the surgical smoke in contact whit the surgical team was reduced by more than 95%.

Conclusions: Surgical smoke is the gaseous by-product produced by heat-generating devices in various surgical procedures. Surgical smoke may contain chemicals particles, bacteria, and viruses that are harmful and increase the risk of infection for surgeons and all the team in the operation room due to long term exposure of smoke mainly in coronavirus disease 2019 age. The adapted device described is a very simple and cheaper way to use smoke evacuators attached with the monopolar electrosurgical pen to reduce smoke exposure to the surgical team worldwide.

Keywords: COVID-19; breast surgery; smoke evacuation device; smoke in surgery; surgical smoke.