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Cook Medical has introduced the Ciaglia Blue Dolphin™ Balloon Percutaneous Tracheostomy Introducer, the world's first one-step device that combines balloon dilation and tracheal tube insertion to reduce risk to the patient.

PDT is an elective procedure generally performed on patients in the ICU who require long-term ventilation. PDT is accepted as a safe, cost-effective and reliable bedside procedure; however, patients are still at risk for intraoperative complications, including tracheal trauma. By creating a true one-step device that transitions from dilation to trach tube insertion, the Ciaglia Blue Dolphin has the potential to reduce these complications while also minimizing procedure time from skin incision to tracheostomy tube placement.

"Minimizing the invasiveness of surgical techniques is vital when caring for critically ill patients," said Dr. Ben deBoisblanc, professor of medicine and physiology, LSU Health Sciences Center, on the company's website. "Employing radial balloon dilation, the Ciaglia Blue Dolphin represents an evolution in percutaneous tracheostomy technique that can potentially reduce risks associated with the traditional procedure, including anterior wall compression and posterior wall injury. The Ciaglia Blue Dolphin simplifies the PDT technique by combining balloon dilation and tracheal tube insertion into one step, shortening procedural time and reducing tidal volume loss."

The balloon minimizes pressure on the anterior tracheal wall and delivers an even and controlled radial dilation. This significantly reduces the downward force needed to create a tracheal stoma compared to traditional PDTs. Additionally, the device may minimize bleeding, ring fractures and posterior wall perforations by eliminating the need for a dilator to advance back and forth in the trachea, and by limiting soft tissue dissection to a simple skin incision. Due to the "elastic memory" of tissue, the stoma tightly contracts around the tracheostomy tube once the procedure is complete, providing the needed seal and tamponade effect to help prevent bleeding.

"Since 1987, we have worked with innovative physicians and surgeons to improve the safety, economy and convenience of this popular procedure," says Bruce Gingles, global vice president of Cook Medical's Critical Care strategic business unit. "By introducing the Ciaglia Blue Dolphin, we've produced a device that simplifies these procedures. The product's beauty lies in its simplicity; it is an uncomplicated and efficient way to perform PDT."

Featuring a nylon construction, the Ciaglia Blue Dolphin balloon measures 5.4 cm long with an outer diameter of 16 mm when fully inflated. The maximum inflation pressure of the balloon is 11 atmospheres (atm).