Surgical smoke scavenging system Remora®

The Remora® is a smoke and fluid evacuation system that was designed to attach to (or work with) almost any electrosurgical pencil and has a universal suction adapter which plugs into most O.R. suction sources. The Remora® allows the surgeon to simultaneously remove smoke and fluid from the electrosurgical site. With a minimalist form, the Remora® preserves the surgeon’s field of vision and dexterity while operating. Additionally, removing fluid from the surgical site can improve the conductivity of electrosurgical instruments, potentially resulting in a more efficient procedure. The Remora® comes in a standard and a micro configuration to accommodate a variety of surgical procedures. The Remora® is an excellent tool to increase efficiency and assist in keeping the operating room free of toxic surgical smoke. Electrosurgery refers to the application of high-frequency electrical current to biological tissue as a means to cut and coagulate,1 this helps reduce blood loss and operating time.2 Unfortunately, while performing electrosurgery, a harmful byproduct is produced: Surgical Smoke, also known as a smoke plume. Surgical smoke is generated by the thermal destruction of tissue; it consists of 95% water vapor and 5% combustion by-products and cellular debris.3 Inhaling the smoke plume generated by electrocautery ablation of 1 g of tissue is roughly equivalent to smoking six unfiltered cigarettes. Each year, 500,000+ healthcare workers are exposed to surgical smoke.5 It is estimated that surgical smoke contains over 750 chemical compounds.6 The impact of inhaling surgical smoke in the O.R. is equivalent to smoking 27-30 unfiltered cigarettes a day.7, 8