Ethicon Endo-Surgery (EES), a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, is expected to introduce a new Echelon Flex 45 Endopath Stapler intended to provide surgeons with improved access and compression when deploying a 45mm staple line, the utilized endocutter length in the US for laparoscopic surgery.
Ethicon Endo-Surgery’s Echelon Flex Endopath Staplers deliver system-wide compression, natural articulation and optimal staple formation in a variety of tissue thickness. Endocutters are used to cut and staple tissue in a variety of surgical procedures, including bariatric, thoracic, colorectal, gynecologic, urologic and general surgery.
EES expects to introduce the new Echelon Flex 45 Endopath 45mm Stapler, which is already available with a 60mm staple line, at the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons’ (SAGES) 12th World Congress of Endoscopic Surgery.
Since the introduction of the Echelon Flex 60 Endopath Stapler, EES has found that, when used in thick tissue (tissue between 3mm and 5mm), the average staple line from the Echelon Flex 60 Endopath Stapler has fewer malformed staples than a competitor. EES staplers are designed with system-wide compression to gently and uniformly compress along the entire length of targeted tissue.
EES implements Halsted’s principles of surgery the importance of hemostasis, adequate blood supply and the gentle handling of tissue for safe and effective surgery when developing advanced surgical products. Understanding the properties of living tissue is critical to the EES approach to surgical stapling as devices are specially designed to minimize trauma so that tissue can return to its natural state once the pressure is removed.
Larry Sasaki, MD at North Louisiana Surgery Center & Louisiana State University School of Medicine at Shreveport, said: “When staples are malformed or don’t seem secure, it can cause concern and may result in additional intervention from the surgeon to remove and replace them. The reliability of staple lines, particularly in thick tissue, is an important element in the overall success of a surgical procedure. New innovations that may deliver more consistency and capability in this area can help surgeons improve outcomes.”