Study Validates RenovaRP Pump Decreases Procedure Time for Ascites Treatment
Reseachers report the RenovaRP pump (GI Supply, Mechanicsburg, PA) reduces procedure time compared to standard wall suction in the treatment of ascites without increasing adverse effects, such as hypotension or abdominal pain. In the study published in Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, the authors observed a substantially higher fluid flow rate during paracentesis using the RenovaRP system compared to wall suction. The result was a decrease in procedure room time from 53 minutes with wall suction to 31 minutes with RenovaRP.
The paper’s authors noted that the RenovaRP pump is portable, simple to use, requires little staff training and can be used to perform paracentesis outside of interventional radiology. The authors also highlighted that, as a self-contained system, it avoids exposing medical team members to patients’ body fluids, which may occur during exchange of wall-suction canisters.
“Exposure to a patient’s body fluids is a risk faced by healthcare professionals that must change cannisters or open cannisters to pour in the material that solidifies the removed fluid,” said Karen T. Brown, MD, a co-author of the research paper. She serves as the chief of Interventional Radiology in the Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, professor of Radiology at the University of Utah and works at both the Huntsman Cancer Center and University Hospital.
Although the study was not designed to investigate patient or staff preferences, RenovaRP conferred several advantages. Placing the system on a cart to enable paracentesis in patients’ hospital rooms saves time for patients and staff.
According to Dr. Brown, “The patient experience was comparable to conventional wall suction. Patients said they liked Renova better, which might have been due in part to it being a faster procedure.”
In their discussion about costs associated with wall suction and the RenovaRP system, study authors noted that in certain high-volume centers where paracentesis procedures are performed frequently, the RenovaRP pump can be expected to provide superior throughput with relatively minimal added procedural costs. They also noted that the RenovaRP pump offers providers and patients substantially faster procedure times without adverse outcomes.
“While we anticipated positive outcomes from this clinical study, our team was gratified that the results clearly support the benefits of the RenovaRP system,” said Rhett Klein, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, GI Supply. “We are dedicated to enhancing patient safety and satisfaction in a cost-effective system that also supports the needs of medical staff.”