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Airway Procedures

We offer powered ENT instruments – including microdebriders and blades – for performing precise laryngeal and airway procedures for both adult and pediatric patients.

About Airway Procedures

Medtronic offers a broad portfolio of powered ENT instruments for laryngeal surgery and airway procedures. These are some of our key products for both adult and pediatric patients:

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Straightshot Microdebrider Blades for Airway Procedures

Powered Instruments

Straightshot M4 Microdebrider

With its precision and versatility, our award-winning Straightshot® M4 Microdebrider is well-suited for a variety of lesions throughout the airway. It allows custom speed, suction, and irrigation settings, as well as the simplicity of preset application-specific settings. With the Straightshot's innovative finger wheel control, the rotatable blades facilitate precise placement of the cutting window without changing the position of the handpiece, offering hand stability while operating within the confines of the airway. You can use our microdebrider for:

  • Recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP)
  • Tracheal or laryngeal polypectomy
  • Tracheal or laryngeal lesion debulking
  • Tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy 
  • Microdebrider-assisted extended uvulopalatoplasty for obstructive sleep apnea

Innovative Blades for the Airway

Our selection of application-specific Straightshot blades for airway procedures gives you maximum flexibility for treating adult and pediatric patients. Blade selection is dictated by the condition being treated and anatomic location. Cutting edges progress from the less aggressive Skimmer® Blade for precise excision of small lesions in delicate areas to the most aggressive Tricut® Blade for rapid removal of large bulky growths.

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Skimmer Blade removing papilloma

Blade length ranges from 18 to 45 cm in 2.9, 3.5, and 4.0 mm diameters to meet the needs of varying patient anatomies. Some of our innovative blades include:

  • The Skimmer Blade for precise excision of small lesions in delicate areas. It was specifically designed for gently and quickly shaving recurrent respiratory papillomas (RRP) near the vocal fold while minimizing damage to the epithelium. Skimmer Blades offer a better treatment for RRP through shorter procedure times, quicker patient recovery, and eliminating the thermal burn and other risks associated with laser techniques.1 The recurrent nature of papilloma with resultant numerous surgeries often leads to progressive scarring and poor voice outcomes that may be prevented by the ability to avoid injury to normal tissues with the microdebrider.2
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Tricut Blade excising suprastomal granuloma

  • The aggressive Tricut Blade for rapid removal of large bulky growths.
  • The Powered Intracapsular Tonsillectomy and Adenoidectomy (PITA™) Set, which studies show offers a safe, effective method for many patients that results in faster recovery, less postoperative pain, and a faster return to normal diet than traditional methods.3-5

Additional Products

For our complete line of products for laryngeal surgery and airway procedures, see our online ENT Product Catalog.

References

1

El-Bitar MA, Zalzal GH. Powered instrumentation in the treatment of recurrent respiratory papillomatosis: an alternative to the carbon dioxide laser. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2002;128:425-8.

2

Holler T, Allegro J, Chadha NK et al. Voice outcomes following repeated surgical resection of laryngeal papillomata in children. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surgery 2009; 141: 522-526.

3

Derkay CS, Darrow DH, Welch C, Sinacori J. Post-tonsillectomy morbidity and quality of life in pediatric patients with obstructive tonsils and adenoid: microdebrider vs electrocautery. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2006; Jan; 134(1):114-20.

4

Koltai PJ, Solares CA, Mascha EJ, Xu M. Intracapsular partial tonsillectomy for tonsillar hypertrophy in children. Laryngoscope 2002;112:17-19.

5

Schmidt R, Herzog A, Cook S, O'Reilly R, Deutsch E, Reilly J. Complications of tonsillectomy. A comparison of techniques. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2007;133:925-8.