In these days of financial constraint it is increasingly evident that the old adage of “spend to save” is under threat because budget holders don’t like the “spend” component. Air leaks in lung surgery have been an occupational hazard since this kind of surgery was first performed, but it is undoubtedly the case that in recent years they have become significantly higher profile. This is because treatment options have increased and improved, air leak monitoring has improved, patient outcomes have been the focus of greater attention and healthcare providers have become increasingly focused on finding the true costs associated with certain procedures. In this short business case we consider Cost of Air Leaks and conclude that in the published literature there is evidence of greater than 10% prolonged air leaks, that the cost can be quantified, that the likelihood of prolonged air leak can be predicted, that air leaks can be reduced by using sealants and finally that by targeted application of sealants such as TissuePatchThoracic there is a sound economic basis for its use.
