Medela: NICE Recommends Thopaz+ Portable, Digital System for Managing Chest Drains
BAAR, Switzerland, April 13, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --
- In multiple clinical trials patients with the Thopaz+ chest drainage system have had shorter chest tube placements and also shorter hospital stays than patients with conventional chest drains.
- Chest surgery typically requires the insertion of a thin plastic tube into the space between the organs and the chest wall. Chest tubes are painful as the tissues in that area are very sensitive.
- The NICE resource impact assessment shows that, at a national level, adopting Thopaz+is expected to save around £8.5 million per year in England.
The United Kingdom's National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has issued a medical technology guidance recommending Thopaz+ (Medela AG Switzerland) for managing chest drains. NICE concluded: "The case for adopting Thopaz+ for managing chest drains is supported by the evidence. Thopaz+ can reduce drainage time and length of stay in hospital, and improves safety for people with chest drains. Its use may also improve clinical decision-making through continuous, objective monitoring of air leaks and fluid loss."
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Chest surgery typically requires the insertion of a thin plastic tube (chest drain) into the space between the organs and the chest wall. Chest tubes are painful as the pleural space and mediastinum are very sensitive sites. Patients require regular pain relief for comfort, and to allow them to complete physiotherapy or mobilisation.
"We are delighted NICE and the Appraisal Committee has reached this decision. The positive conclusion is testament to the value, cost-effectiveness and innovation Thopaz+ brings to the chest drainage paradigm," says Paul Furlong, Managing Director for Medela in the UK.
Thopaz+ is a portable chest drain and digital monitoring system that applies negative pressure as needed and continuously monitors air leakage and fluid drainage. In its internationally recognized independent role to provide evidence-based guidance on health and social care, NICE states that Thopaz+ should especially be considered for people who need chest drainage after pulmonary resection or due to a pneumothorax.
The main benefits behind the use of Thopaz+, as confirmed by NICE's guidance, are a shorter drainage time and a shorter length of stay in hospitals following pulmonary resection. By case, a reduced length of stay in hospital of up to 1.5 days (average 0.4 days) and estimated cost savings of £111 per patient per hospital stay were calculated.
"We anticipate that where Thopaz+ is used to manage chest drains there will be a reduced length of stay in hospital. This will allow providers to better utilise beds," concludes the external assessment centre (EAC).
Medela is the leading manufacturer of chest drainage systems in Europe and is pleased by NICE's recognition of the Thopaz+ digital chest drain system.
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), an independent organization recognized internationally as a role model for providing evidence-based guidance on health and social care, aims to reduce variation in the availability and quality of NHS treatments and care. NICE is at the vanguard of developing evidence based clinical practice.
Please click here to read and download the full NICE guideline for the use of Thopaz+.
About Medela
Medela concentrates on two business units: "Human Milk", with basic research recognised globally and leading in the development and manufacture of breastfeeding products and solutions, and "Healthcare", engineering and manufacturing highly innovative medical vacuum technology solutions. In 2007, Medela Healthcare launched the Thopaz cardiothoracic drainage system, followed by the launch of Thopaz+ in 2014.
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