Novel Asymmetrical Linear Stapler (NALS) for pathologic evaluation of true resection margin tissue

Area of Science:

• Surgical Oncology
• Thoracic Surgery
• Medical Devices

Background:

• Limited resection for early lung cancer is increasing.
• Confirming R0 resection at the true margin is crucial to prevent recurrence.
• Novel devices are needed to preserve margin tissue for accurate evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel linear stapler designed to preserve true resection margin tissue.
• To evaluate the efficacy of this stapler in maintaining margin integrity for pathological assessment.

Main Methods:

• A Novel Asymmetrical Linear Stapler (NALS) was utilized.
• Porcine lung wedge resection was performed to compare NALS with a conventional stapler.
• Pathological examination of the true resection margin was conducted.

Main Results:

• NALS successfully divided and closed lung tissue without bleeding or air leakage.
• NALS provided a sufficient distance (3.10 mm) between the cutting edge and fasteners for margin evaluation.
• NALS showed no squeezing artifact, unlike conventional staplers which caused significant artifacts.

Conclusions:

• The Novel Asymmetrical Linear Stapler (NALS) effectively preserves true resection margin tissue.
• This preservation facilitates accurate pathological evaluation, including frozen section biopsies.
• NALS shows promise for improving oncologic surgery outcomes in lung cancer resection.