Tracheobronxane™ Endobronchial Watanabe Spigots (EWS) were developed by NOVATECH in close cooperation with Dr. Y. WATANABE, Okayama,
Japan. They are made of implant-grade, radiopaque silicone.

Indications

for re-expansion of the lung in case of

• inoperable pneumothorax
• bronchio-pleural fistula

with a continuous loss of air and collapse of the lung despite thoracic suction drain, when surgical intervention is not indicated.

A study¹⁾ performed in Japan with 63 patients including 40 cases of intractable pneumothorax, 12 cases of pyothorax with fistula and 7 cases of pulmonary fistula has shown that using EWS is safer and has more permanent results than conventional methods.  After determination of the affected bronchi with a balloon catheter (alternatively X-ray etc.), the EWS are placed with a flexible bronchoscope and forceps guided by the working tube of the bronchoscope. The use of EWS was successful in 96.7% of the cases. The loss of air was stopped or significantly reduced in 77.6% of the cases. No severe complications ocurred.

^{1) Dr. Y. Watanabe, Journal of Bronchology, 2003}

Aftercare

• If the use of EWS alone does not improve the
  patients’ condition, pleurodesis (for example using Steritalc®) or other therapy can follow after the collapsed lung has reexpanded and the loss of air is stopped.
• The spigots can be removed after the clinical condition has improved and the thoracic drain is removed.