ALTERNATIVE DESIGN FOR RADIOLOGIC GUIDANCE IN VIDEO THORACOSCOPIC SURGERY

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES. Easy dislodgment and a pneumothorax rate of up to 50% have been reported with the use of mammographic hookwires fo r radiologic guidance in thoracoscopic surgery. An alternative design is described and preliminary in vitro results are reported. METHODS. T he new design is based on the T-fastener used in percutaneous gastrost omies and can be deposited with a 20-Fr guidance needle. In vitro meas urements of the anchoring capability of this design were compared with the anchoring capability of the Hawkin's III (Meditech/Boston Scienti fic, Watertown, MA) mammographic hook wire system. RESULTS. Anchoring capabilities of the alternative anchoring design and the Hawkin's III mammographic hook wire localization system are comparable. Complete di slodgement of both anchors occurs at approximately 350 gm. CONCLUSIONS . Preliminary in vitro investigation demonstrated similar anchoring ca pabilities of the new design and mammographic hook wires. Potential ad vantages of this suture-based localization device over hook wires are discussed.