[Five questions about the Kiwi OmniCup vacuum extractor]

An engineering perspective of vacuum assisted delivery devices in obstetrics: A review

Complications during childbirth result in the need for clinicians to use 'assisted delivery' in over 12% of cases (UK). After more than 50 years in clinical practice, vacuum assisted delivery (VAD) devices remain a mainstay in physically assisting child delivery; sometimes preferred over forceps due to their ease of use and reduced maternal morbidity. Despite their popularity and enduring track-record, VAD devices have shown little evidence of innovation or design change since their inception. In addition, evidence on the safety and functionality of VAD devices remains limited but does present opportunities for improvements to reduce adverse clinical outcomes. Consequently in this review we examine the literature and patent landscape surrounding VAD biomechanics, design evolution and performance from an engineering perspective, aiming to collate the limited but valuable information from a disparate field and provide a series of recommendations to inform future research into improved, safer, VAD systems.

An original and effective technique to improve exposure in open surgery

Background

Exposure, especially when the organs are enlarged, remains one of the most important issue in open surgery. Considering this constraint appears critical in the progress of the surgical procedure. We highlight our technique which affords optimal exposure and improves manipulation and extraction of enlarged organs.

Results

This original and effective technique is derived from an obstetrical device used to perform an assisted vaginal delivery. It improves exposure, reduces tissue manipulation, and enhances removal of the surgical specimen during hysterectomies and myomectomies. It can be similarly helpful sometimes to grasp and remove (by mini laparotomy) enlarged adnexa during laparoscopic procedures. Moreover, this trick appears particularly suited in case of obese patients.

Conclusion

This new technique procures a real benefit for both the patient and the surgeon in terms of ergonomics and safety.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s10397-017-1013-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.