Interview
Q: Could you tell us about your experience with the Richard Wolf PRINCESS resectoscope?
Han: Healthcare in China is now very advanced, and in gynecology everyone recommends minimally invasive surgery as the best approach. Within minimally invasive surgery, about 95 to 100 percent of physicians can now perform laparoscopy, but in hysteroscopy fewer than 10 percent – some even say 5 percent – have truly mastered the technique, and even those who have may be limited to looking. An approach that combines diagnosis and treatment will, I think, be a very big topic in the future development of gynecology.
What makes the PRINCESS hysteroscopic resectoscope special is its diameter, which is between large and small. A small diameter is generally 21 Fr. and a larger one 26 Fr.; 24 Fr. is the PRINCESS size, about 7 mm. The drawback of a small instrument is that a larger lesion needs many cuts to remove, producing lots of chips, so you have to go in and out again and again. With a larger 26 Fr. resectoscope, a woman who has never given birth may need considerable cervical dilatation, which is sometimes difficult. If the cervix is hard to dilate, the large resectoscope fits tightly, fluid easily enters the body and TURP syndrome results. The PRINCESS hysteroscopic resectoscope system is designed to be neither too large nor too small – its diameter is just right, so we can remove the lesion without much dilatation.
Another excellent feature of the PRINCESS hysteroscopic resectoscope is that it is both monopolar and bipolar in one instrument. Physicians who are more used to monopolar resectoscope systems can use the monopolar mode, while the bipolar mode is safer, and both can be used together. So you can use it fully: one scope gives you two different techniques. On top of its just-right size, this adds a very good resection method.
Q: Could you also tell us about your experience with the Richard Wolf RESECTION MASTER?
Han: Richard Wolf now has a new system, the RESECTION MASTER morcellation system. Its advantage is this: when we resect submucosal fibroids, especially large ones, cutting back and forth produces a lot of chips. Traditionally we work up to a certain point and then clear the chips, but in the meantime the surgical field is full of debris that obstructs your view of the uterine cavity.
The alternative is the RESECTION MASTER morcellation system. It has a suction channel at the back, so chips are aspirated directly as they are produced – a very good design. This saves time when resecting somewhat larger submucosal fibroids, reduces the time spent going in and out and also reduces many other complications. I think a product like this is well worth introducing for more difficult procedures.
About the expert
