[Plasma scalpel in pulmonary surgery]

The "Plasma scalpel CP-M" device was used in experiments on dogs to study the possibility of applying plasma irradiation in the surgery of the lungs. The morphology of their "plasma wound" and reparative processes was studied. The plasma device was employed in the clinic in 40 various operations on the lungs and thoracic wall for cleansing the pleural cavity and operative wound, hemostasis from the walls of the pleural cavity, and hermetic closure of the lung wound surface. It was established that the plasma scalpel can be used effectively in hermetic closure of defects in the pulmonary tissue and cleansing of the pleural cavity and operative wound; for arresting diffuse bleeding from the walls of the pleural cavity, the plasma scalpel may be used only in combination with other methods of hemostasis.