CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Tonsillectomy patients in the Chicago area can put aside those tubs of ice cream thanks to a novel surgical device. Charles Amenta, M.D., an otolaryngologist at the Center for Minimally Invasive Surgery (CMIS) in Mokena, Ill., is using Microline Surgical’s MiFusion ENTceps® to remove tonsils quickly and safely with minimal damage to nearby tissue and less post-operative pain compared with conventional devices.
While tonsillectomy is one of the most common surgical procedures, patients typically say it's one of the most painful. But MiFusion ENTceps has been a game changer for Dr. Amenta. "It made me rethink just how much healthy tissue I can really save, still take out the complete tonsil and have a happier patient."
Conventional devices used to perform tonsillectomies transmit electrical energy through the patient, which can damage surrounding tissue, as well as cause excessive bleeding and intense post-operative pain. As a result, it can take days or even weeks for a patient to fully recover and resume his or her normal life.
MiFusion ENTceps uses an advanced, proprietary technology, called Thermal Fusion (also known as Tissue Welding), to remove the tonsils and simultaneously seal the tissue from which they were removed. Tissue damage is minimal because the MiFusion ENTceps device uses only pure heat and pressure. This accounts for vastly improved patient outcomes. Studies have shown that patients who have undergone MiFusion ENTceps tonsillectomies experience less pain and bleeding compared with other surgical techniques.1,2
Dr. Amenta says, "I've taken out tonsils in six different ways and Thermal Fusion is by far the best way to do it because it's precise and atraumatic for the patients."
Carrie Fedynich is one of Dr. Amenta's many patients who are pleased with the procedure. The 32-year-old, who had been suffering bouts of tonsillitis several times a year, sought out a physician who was performing Thermal Fusion tonsillectomies.
"I was nervous about having a tonsillectomy because of all the negative recovery stories I heard, but it wasn't bad at all. I had sore throats worse than what the recovery from the surgery was like," Fedynich says. During her recovery time at home, Fedynich says she had no bleeding and very minimal pain. "I would recommend this procedure and I've already told a few other people about it."
Dr. Amenta says, "We used to get phone calls all the time from patients telling us that they couldn't tolerate the pain but MiFusion ENTceps has made a huge difference. We're getting far fewer calls and just see the patients at their follow up appointments." He adds, now that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued recent warnings against the use of codeine to reduce pain in children, surgeons are trying "to find ways to inflict less damage so parents can manage their children’s pain with over the counter pain relievers."
For more information on the MiFusion ENTceps® tonsillectomy procedure, visit www.entceptional.com.
1 Stavroulaki P. et al. Thermal welding versus cold dissection tonsillectomy: A prospective, randomized, single-blind study in adult patients. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol. August 2007.
2 Karatzias G. et al. Thermal welding versus bipolar tonsillectomy: A comparative study. Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. June 2006.