THE PRODUCT
Safe and accurate insertion of large bore chest drains
The Pleuratech KatGuide has an innovative design that promotes safe and accurate insertion and placement of large bore chest drains. It gently guides the drain in to the precise spot needed without perforating the lung.
Precise placement of the pleural drain increases surgical success and reduces the need for repeat pleural drainage surgeries when treating conditions such as pneumothorax, pleural effusion and empyema.
The curved shape of the KatGuide tube helps the surgeon to bring the drain safely and accurately to any area of the pleural cavity without damaging the lung. This is due to the fact that the direction of the chest tube during the insertion is parallel to the surface of the lung.
Techniques using blunt dissection are safest
According to current literature, the safest techniques for inserting a large bore chest tube employ blunt instruments. A finger palpates the pleural layers to ensure that there are no adhesions, and that the pleural cavity is entered.
When using the conventional technique, the distal tip of the chest tube is grasped with a forceps or Kelly clamp and inserted in the desired direction. However - when the forceps is unclamped and the chest tube is inserted, the surgeon has limited control of the direction of the chest tube.
Greater directional control with KatGuide
The direction of the chest tube during the insertion will often be towards the lung tissue or into the interlobar fissure, with malplacement, organ perforation and less effective drainage as possible consequences.
When using the KatGuide technique, blunt dissection in the safe triangle and control with a finger is used just as in the conventional technique. Here, however, the surgeon has much greater control.