Improving Clinical and Economic Outcomes by Reducing Bleeding During and After Surgery

Total Hip Arthroplasty (THA) is performed using several approaches to the hip joint. The anterior approach allows the surgeon to approach the hip joint from the front of the hip without detachment of muscle during surgery, it is considered the only intermuscular and internervous approach for THA.

Salient Surgical Technologies’ patented TRANSCOLLATION™ technology remodels tissue collagen for vessel sealing, which reduces the need for blood transfusions and contributes intra-operatively to a clearer surgical site.

Dr. John Keggi uses the muscle sparing Anterior Total Hip Arthroplasty (THA) procedure. The anterior approach provides the patient with many benefits, as Dr. Keggi indicates:

“During the surgery the patient is in the supine position, allowing more direct access to the hip. The tensor fascia lata muscle is split directly anteriorally down to the hip avoiding the abductor muscles. The patient can experience a quicker recovery with the muscle sparing Anterior THA procedure.”

"The addition of the AQUAMANTYS® device really lends itself to this technique"

Dr. Corey Burak “I perform anterior approach total hip replacement because I believe it is the best operation for my total hip replacement patients, it offers a faster recovery, less pain, no hip precautions and allows patients to get back to their normal lives quicker than any other method.

With the use of the fracture table it enables me to be extremely accurate with the placement of the components and equalization of their leg lengths, at the same time performing the same operation on patients of all sizes and shapes with virtually any type of hip affliction.

The addition of the Aquamantys device really lends itself to this technique, making controlling blood loss in very tight spaces quite easy and efficient, without the need for multiple assistants.

I have also seen a definite decrease in both intra-operative and post-op blood loss, virtually eliminating the need for allogeneic transfusions, even in my bilateral patients!”

Phelps Memorial Hospital Center

Whether it is treating areas actively bleeding during surgery, or treating areas likely to bleed after surgery, the AQUAMANTYS® System preserves the patient's own hemoglobin levels, therefore reducing the risk of transfusion and the need for pre-donation. Less bleeding also reduces the need for a postoperative drain. In addition, bleeding can contribute to increased pain and swelling during recovery. TRANSCOLLATION™ technology in orthopaedic surgery may:

• Improve the patient experience by reducing the risk of transfusion related infections.
• Reduce hospital length of stay.
• Reduce post-surgical pain and swelling by reducing postoperative hematomas.
• Be especially beneficial for high-risk, multiple-comorbidity patient groups susceptible to increased blood loss.
• Preserve the patient's own blood.

• Bierbaum BE, Callaghan JJ, Galante JO, Rubash HE, Tooms RE, Welch RB. An analysis of blood management in patients having a total hip or knee arthroplasty. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 1999; 81(1):2-10.

• Rosen MJ. Transcollation technology for primary total joint replacement: Clinical and economic benefits. Data on file.

• A New Look at Blood Transfusion: Evaluation of the risks and benefits prompts careful blood management. Joint Commission Perspectives on Patient Safety, January 2007, Volume 7, Issue 1.

• Rosenberg AG. Reducing blood loss in total joint surgery with a saline-coupled bipolar sealing technology. J Arthroplasty. 2007; 22(4 Suppl 1):82-5.

• Bushnell BD, Horton JK, McDonald MF, Robertson PG. Perioperative medical comorbidities in the orthopaedic patient. J Am Acad Orthop Surg 2008 16: 216-227.