The procedure consists in the removal of the whole parietal peritoneum and of several abdominal organs. Then the abdomen is treated with Perioperative Intraperitoneal Chemohypertermia, whose goal is to remove tumor cells and microscopic cancers seed from the abdomen. Chemohyperthermia consists in a “washing” of the abdominal cavity, executed through the insertion of several drains into the abdominal surface. Some are for infusing liquid inside the abdominal cavity and other for removing it.

The drains are linked to an external circuit mounted on a pump similar to those for extra-corporeal circulation. The pump is fitted with a fluid heat exchanger so to bring the circulating liquid (usually saline or dialysis liquid) at 41-42 °C. When the desired temperature is reached, a chemotherapeutic agent is injected in the line so to enter the circulation. The treatment lasts one or two hours. The heat damages cancer cells on its own and it also plays in synergy with the chemotherapic agents improving the penetration of it inside the cancer layers and potentiating the drug efficacy.

When perfusion is finished, the liquid into the abdomen is completely removed by the pump. Then, the surgery team goes on with the surgical reopening of the abdominal cavity for a further verification, in order to eliminate all blood clots and residual fragments stage of extra-abdominal tumors.

FLEXIPER is operated by simple commands shown on a color display. The proprietary internal software is specifically designed for the procedures . The is no risk of bugs or sudden interruption of the procedures so common in non dedicated software.

FLEXIPER allows the doctor to carry out a number of procedures as follows:

Procedures Pathologies Kit
HIPEC Secondary Peritoneal Carcinomatosis (Appendix Ovarian, Colon rectal and Gastric cancer), Primary Peritoneal Mesothelioma, Pseudomyxoma Peritonei, Pleural Mesothelioma Lines in PVC , phthalate free with reservoir, heat exchanger and thermal probes
Intra peritoneal lavage Neoplastic ascitys non respondent. Palliative treatment Lines in PVC , phthalate free with reservoir, heat exchanger and thermal probes
STOP-FLOW Hypossic perfusion with extracorporeal circulation Solid cancer. Neoadjuvant treatment, adjuvant for palliative purposes Lines in PVC , phthalate free with reservoir, heat exchanger thermal probes and ultra filter/oxigenator
ILP Isolated limb perfusion transit metastases from melanoma, sarcomas of the extremities Lines in PVC , phthalate free with reservoir, heat exchanger thermal probes and ultra filter/oxigenator

Real temperatures
FLEXIPER prevents the heat dissipation thanks to its innovative patented heat exchanger, FLUID-HEX , that ensures an almost perfect correspondence between the input and output temperature of the perfusate.
Our competitors use several technologies to heat the perfusate placed inside the machines. Therefore they need long tubing sets to supply the perfusate to the abdominal cavity which in turns leads to heat dissipation
In the FLEXIPER system an extensible arm enables the heat exchanger to be placed close to the patient so we can use shorter our tubing sets.

Amount of drugs
FLEXIPER computes the circulating fluid based on the patient’s cavity volume thus enabling the doctors to adjust the chemotherapy drug’s amount on the real circulating volume of perfusate and not on the whole prepared volume of saline.
It is plain that this feature saves drugs and money

Record of the procedures
The data of the procedures can be collected through a USB port. The data are compatible with the main databases