M I N I - L A P
IMPROVED EXPOSURE
Smaller Holes, Safer and Faster Surgery
hat do all laparoscopic
case have in common?
They all begin with cameras inserted through a port of entry,
so surgeons can assess surgical cavities and plot their next moves. That
means they shouldn't commit to specific approaches before gaining
access to the abdomen — they might
find they're able to complete the procedure through a single port, with
standard 5mm instruments placed
through multiple trocars, or with a
combination of conventional and minilap instrumentation maneuvered
through 5mm and 3mm holes.
The most immediate and practical
application of mini-lap's smaller holes
is their use in combination with 5mm
trocars or during reduced-port techniques. Whether used alone or in
combination with standard instrumentation, mini-lap leads to potentially
safer surgeries because it gives surgeons better exposure to the surgical
cavity.
Surgeons married to reduced-port
techniques, however, sometimes hesitate to add an extra trocar because of
scarring concerns, even if the addition-
W
1 4
WAIT AND SEE Surgeons must adapt
to what they find within the abdomen
instead of committing fully to a technique.
al port would make the surgery easier
to perform. But most surgeons wouldn't
mind making 3mm nicks that patients
won't notice in order to use a mini-lap
instrument, meaning they're more likely
to use the tools that can lead to safer
and faster operations. Inserting a minilap instrument through a minute skin
incision to lift the gallbladder and
achieve better exposure can mean the
difference between making a challenging case more manageable and wasting valuable surgical time — or worse
— harming the patient.
— Paul G. Curcillo II, MD, FACS
O U T PAT I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E O N L I N E | M A R C H 2013
