FAQ
What is bedside stapling technique?
A surgical technique that uses a manual or energy powered stapler to close incisions after surgery.
This involves deploying a handheld or bedside stapling device such as the Signia™ linear stapler with Tri-Staple™ technology, instead of using the in-built stapling arm of a surgical robot.
How is the Signia stapler used alongside the robotic stapling arm during a procedure?
Using a laparoscopic, hand-held stapler alongside robotic arms in surgery has shown to have positive impact on patients, in-patient costs and operative time– see section below.
Using a hand-held stapler allows the Surgical First Assistant (SFA) to fire the stapler at the bedside (at the operating table). Adaptive firing feedback gives the SFA instant data on the tissue thickness. This supports the freeing up the surgeon to control other instruments at the console.
For training surgical residents, the consultant could fire the stapler at the bedside (acting as their Surgical First Assistant) as they become more proficient at the console.
How is a bedside stapler used in practice during?
The bedside stapling approach can be planned from the beginning of the procedure or converted to if there are concerns over patient safety, equipment integrity or to enhance time efficiency. This can become the robotic stapler system or your robotic surgical stapling approach in your operating theatre.
For a deep dive into this topic, check out this webinar with Mr Joel Dunning, Consultant Thoracic Surgeon from James Cook Hospital, UK. He shares his own case studies for using the bedside stapling approach in robotic lobectomy procedures.
Key moment: From 06:00 – Operating room time lapsed comparison from set up to first firing between robotic arm firing and bedside (Hybrid) stapling.
