Delivery Scalpel Prevents Injuries to Babies During C-Section

Ecomed Solutions unveiled the Sureglide Cesarean scalpel at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine’s 37th Annual Pregnancy Meeting in Las Vegas, Nev.. The scalpel, designed by ob-gyns for ob-gyns, reduces the risk of fetal injury from nicks, cuts or lacerations during cesarean deliveries and protects doctors, nurses and other personnel from sharps injury.
 
In the U.S., more than 30 percent of births are by C-section, up from 23 percent in 2000. As these numbers rise, so does the risk of fetal injuries, which according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), occur in at least three percent of all pregnancies. Most often, the face, cheek and ear of the fetus is in the line of the hysterotomy incision. According to The American Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics, these types of birth injuries can cause long-term and sometimes permanent health issues.
 
“The most stressful aspect of a delivery for every doctor is getting the baby out safely,” explained Dr. Andrea Wolfe, ob-gyn practitioner based in Grand Rapids, Mich. and medical consultant for Sureglide. “Just like the mother and father, we invest 9 months in preparing for the most precious moment of a family’s life. With Sureglide, a doctor is assured that every risk is managed right up to the last moment in pregnancy.”
 
As the number of C-sections increase, so do the potential dangers to surgical staff. Sharps injuries can happen before, during and after procedures are completed. They even occur after disposal. Whether the injury is to the infant or staff, these types of injuries result in both direct and indirect costs associated with reporting, treatment, benefits costs, not to mention emotional distress and future health repercussions. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that about 385,000 sharps-related injuries occur annually among health care workers in hospitals.
 
Unlike typical surgical scalpels that offer no protection to surgical teams and babies, Sureglide’s design and movement eliminates any fetal exposure to the blade during a hysterotomy regardless of uterine wall thickness or number of passes. The scalpel, developed with input from surgeons using it, incorporates safety features that prevent sharps and fetal injury and captures optimal feel and elegance including:
 

• Protected blade designed to cut up and away from fetus and eliminates exposure to blade by surgical staff
• Ergonomically designed handle similar to traditional scalpel with greater control, familiar feel and line of sight to incision
• Raised ribs for better grip

 
“From the moment the pregnancy test comes back as positive, parents plan for just about everything from prenatal care to the outfit the baby will leave the hospital in,” said David Yurek, CEO of Ecomed Solutions. “If a cesarean delivery is part of the plan, parents and physicians now have an option to make sure the baby is protected during the delivery. Scars should be left for memories of learning to ride a bike, not childbirth.”