2008 Volume 22 Issue 2 Pages 135-141
TissueLinkTM (TL) is a device developed for the purpose of liver excision, and comprises mono-polar coagulation equipment which requires saline as mediation. We have used TL in bulla surgery, and have reported good results since 2005. Furthermore, in order to introduce TL into clinical use, multi-institutional clinical studies have been performed, and the results are as follows. TL ablation was performed for small bullae: 48 patients (60 lesions), and large bullae: 27 patients (31 lesions). Complications: postoperative air leakage occurred in only three patients with small bullae, with none in large bullae. The causes of complications were overlooked bullae, poor ablation, and unknown. For small bullae, the cause was only TL ablation, bullae disappeared, and the postoperative complications were also slight. Complications were not observed in large bulla surgery. By carrying out TL ablation for large bullae, which requires lobectomy, reduction and tylosis of the wall were possible, and, as a result, bullae excision with an automatic suture device was easily performed. As mentioned above, it is thought that TL could be introduced as a new device in surgery for bullae.
