Oto-drill (A prototype surgical drill unit)

OBJECTIVE: To design and produce a high quality, inexpensive surgical drill using locally available electronics. DESIGN: Descriptive (Instrument Design) SETTING: University based tertiary hospital MATERIALS AND METHODS: The surgical drill apparatus will use high quality electronics readily available locally which will make it cheaper than the other available units. This prototype unit was designed and tested by the author in collaboration with the Santo Tomas University Hospital Biomedical Engineers. The drill units schematics and specifications where patterned from the RAM Microtorque II drill unit which is produced in the U.S.A. RESULTS: The prototype is a cost effective alternative to the expensive drill units available in the market. It was given a 24 hour durability test which it passed with no loss of power or drilling efficiency proving that it can be used for major surgeries especially in the field of Otolaryngology and Neurosurgery. CONCLUSION: The OTODRILL is a cheap alternative and of comparable quality to expensive surgical drills available in the market which can be used in major surgeries in the field of Otolaryngology and other surgical fields. (Author)

Suture ligation technique in hemangioma of the head and neck

Intra-operative bleeding is what most surgeons want to avoid in any surgery. Excessive blood loss and compromise of vital structures are possible morbidities when this happens. This paper presents a method that will minimize intra-operative bleeding during excision of hemangiomas. "Suture ligation technique" is the application of simple interrupted overlapping sutures using silk 2.0 with an atraumatic needle around the hemangiomas prior to the skin incision. Although a number of cases have been done three were documented. It was observed that the technique provides a less bloody and clearer operative fields hence resulting in a faster and less stressful operation with lesser complications. (Author)