10 Years of Digital Chest Drainage: Medela's Milestones Show How State-Of-The-Art Technology Has Transformed Today's Post-Operative Patient Care

PR73383

BAAR, Switzerland, May 3, 2018 /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/ --

     From Heber-principle to digital systems, thoracic surgery has

significantly changed and improved over the course of time - so has chest

drainage. Ten years ago, chest drainage therapy as we knew it was completely

overhauled with the introduction of digital drainage systems. An onboard motor

creating vacuum in a closed system consisting of tubings and fluid collection

container opened a whole new way of how to manage chest drainage patients. In

addition to the option to mobilize all patients with a chest drain, digital

drainage systems also allowed the general reduction of complications [1]. These

systems monitor the patient and alert if the measured data are out of range.

Due to the digital control of the negative pressure, the system is able to

objectively quantify the presence of parenchymal leakage.

(Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/676365/Medela_Logo.jpg )

    Based on science and innovative research, Medela has continuously proven to

be the technology leader in this area. In 2007, Thopaz(TM) was introduced as

the first truly portable, digital drainage system. In 2014, Thopaz+ was

launched, the first digital drainage monitoring system with electronic

measurement of air-leak and drained fluid. Vast amounts of clinical and global

experience show how 10 years of digital drainage have truly impacted the

medical field:

    - 1'000'000 patients on chest drains worldwide have experienced the

benefits of Medela's digital systems in the past 10 years     

    - Patients benefit from a significantly shorter chest tube duration (study

results show 1.1 days shorter chest tube placement on average with

Thopaz(TM))[2]     

    - Thopaz+ is cost saving compared with conventional chest drains for people

who need drainage after a pulmonary resection or because of a collapsed lung.

Healthcare systems and hospitals benefit from shorter length of hospital stay.

NICE resource impact assessment

[https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/mtg37/resources ] concluded that, at a

national level, adopting Thopaz+ is expected to save around GBP 8.5 million per

year in England (a study from Italy showed EUR 751 saved per patient with

Thopaz(TM))[3][4]

    Medela Healthcare is working with various leading clinicians, researchers

and healthcare institutions to bring innovation in thoracic surgery to

hospitals and to help revolutionize post-operative patient care. Through a

publication matrix, the latest research findings in the field of modern chest

drainage systems can be easily filtered through a number of keywords on the

Medela website [https://www.medela.com/healthcare/research/thoracic-drainage ].

    Marcel Hohl, Vice President of Global Marketing at Medela Healthcare, says:

"We are very proud to announce the 10-year anniversary of digital chest

drainage. During these past 10 years, thoracic drainage research has become a

key element of our success and, with the help of our partners; we have reached

many milestones that are proof to us that this innovation is here to stay. The

previous launches of Thopaz(TM) and Thopaz+ only mark the beginning of this

exciting journey. Medela takes great effort to take a modern role in medicine

exploring the power of data to eventually allow for better health profiles and

predictive models for patient with a chest drain."

    Citations

    Frank Detterbeck, Professor of Surgery, Chief of Thoracic Surgery at Yale

University and Associate Director of the Yale Cancer Center: "Scientific data

from 381 patients proving shorter duration of chest tube placement, shorter

hospital stays and a higher patient satisfaction for digital drainage compared

to traditional drainage systems was remarkable for me.In practice, Thopaz(TM)

allows complete patient mobility and independence while the chest drain is

still in situ, thereby realizing the full potential of the minimally invasive

surgery we are performing."

    Konstantinos Papagiannopoulos, MMED Thorax MD at St. James' University

Hospital: "I have collaborated with Medela since 2007 and became actively

involved in modifications and improvements of their suction and drainage

portable pumps. We quickly embraced the benefits of a technologically advanced

device like Thopaz(TM). Our patients became extremely satisfied. They are now

free, mobile and experience modern treatment with a modern device. They feel

safe and comfortable with our fast-tracked discharge service facilitated by

data recorded from the Thopaz(TM) electronic suction pump."

    Thomas Kiefer, MD, Chief of Thoracic Surgery, Lungenzentrum Bodensee:

"Early digital systems were flawed in various ways, but the introduction of

Thopaz(TM) gave us a product with every quality that we had been looking for.

We gradually understood the predictive value of the digital air leak readings,

allowing earlier, effective interventions for air leak post-operatively, which

in turn further minimized the harm of prolonged air leakage. Thopaz(TM) has

also proven to deliver highly reliable and effective outcome measurements for

our clinical research into intra- and post-operative air leak interventions.

Thus, we have redesigned our chest drain management protocols to take advantage

of the benefits of digital drainage."

    Phillip Antippa, MBBS FRACS, Head, Thoracic Surgical Services, The Royal

Melbourne Hospital: "After seeing Thopaz(TM) hard at work whilst on Sabbatical

Leave in the U.K., I was very keen to introduce this technology to -Australia

and New Zealand. Not having any experience with electronic drainage systems,

our institution was reluctant at first and we conducted a feasibility study

confirming the international results that drain tubes could be removed at least

a day earlier. This quickly led to the seamless implementation of Thopaz(TM)

into our service and into other parts of our Hospital. Our surgeons easily

adopted its use and we have continued to collect data from Thopaz(TM). Our

ongoing research projects in close collaboration with Thopaz(TM) design

engineers and scientists will continue to cement Thopaz(TM) as an important

sophisticated clinical diagnostic and therapeutic tool.

    The greatest enthusiasm however has come from our nursing staff. After a

simple education process, Thopaz(TM) has become an integral part of Thoracic

Surgical management for our patients. It has definitely made patient care

easier and our staff feels more engaged - the only complaints we receive is

when a patient returns to the ward with an analogue system!

    Many of our patients understand the benefits of Thopaz(TM). Certainly they

are pleased that they are receiving best possible care and enjoy the freedom

that the device allows."

    About Medela

    Medela concentrates on two business units: "Human Milk", with basic

research recognised globally and leading in the development and manufacture of

breastfeeding products and solutions, and "Healthcare", engineering and

manufacturing highly innovative medical vacuum technology solutions. In 2007,

Medela Healthcare launched the Thopaz(TM) cardiothoracic drainage system,

followed by the launch of Thopaz+ in 2014. Follow this link

[https://www.medela.com/healthcare/research/thoracic-drainage ] to screen all

the research studies according to keywords.

    References

    1) Read Miller, DL. et al., Digital Drainage System Reduces Hospitalization

After Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery Lung Resection. Ann Thorac

Surg.       [

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Digital+Drainage+System+Reduces+Hospitalization+After+Video-Assisted+Thoracoscopic+Surgery+Lung+Resection

] 2016 Sep;102(3) :955-961, Leo, F. et al., Ann Thorac Surg. [

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Does+External+Pleural+Suction+Reduce+Prolonged+Air+Leak+After+Lung+Resection%3F+Results+From+the+AirINTrial+After+500+Randomized+Cases

] 2013 Oct;96(4):1234-9

    2) Pompili, C. et al., 2014: Multicenter International Randomized

Comparison of Objective and Subjective Outcomes Between Electronic and

Traditional Chest Drainage Systems. Ann Thorac Surg.       [

http://www.annalsthoracicsurgery.org/article/S0003-4975(14) 00796-6/abstract ]

98:490-497.

    3) NICE Guidance MTG37: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/MTG37

    4) Pompili, C. et al., 2011 Nov: Impact of the learning curve in the use of

a novel electronic chest drainage system after pulmonary lobectomy: a

case-matched analysis on the duration of chest tube usage. Interact Thorac

Surg.       [

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Impact+of+the+learning+curve+in+the+use+of+a+novel+electronic+chest+drainage+system+after+pulmonary+lobectomy%3A+a+case-matched+analysis+on+the+duration+of+chest+tube+usage

] 13(5): 490-3

    5) Cerfolio, R.J. & Bryant, A.S., 2009: The quantification of postoperative

air leaks. Multimed Man Cardiothorac Surg.

[http://europepmc.org/abstract/med/24412989 ]: 1(409).

    6) Brunelli, A. et al., 2011: Consensus definitions to promote an       

evidence-based approach to management of the pleural space. A collaborative

proposal by ESTS, AATS, STS, and GTSC. Eur J Cardiothorac Surg.       [

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21757129 ]: 40(2):291-7.

    7) Read

https://www.medela.co.uk/healthcare/news-events/news/medela-wins-bbh-award

    8) Barozzi, L. et al., 2015: Do we still need wall suction for chest

drainage? J Cardiovascular Surgery. 2015;56(Supp.1)102.

    Media Contact:

    anja.zoellner@medela.ch

    Burson-Marsteller: daniela.suter@bm.com     

    +41-444558457

Source: Medela