6 6 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • J U L Y 2 0 1 6
To be clear on ter-
minology, people
sometimes use
the term mini-lap
interchangeably
with percutaneous
surgery. Either
way, what we're
talking about is
surgery done with
instruments that
are no larger than
2 or 3 millimeters.
That's the defin-
ing characteristic. We're using instrumentation that looks like
needle sticks. Mini-lap instruments can be inserted percuta-
neously — without making an incision — just by using a sharp tro-
car. Or they can be inserted by using a No. 11 blade scalpel, an
elongated triangular blade with a strong pointed tip that makes it
suitable for stab incisions. That's all you need with mini-lap —
just a poke.
More to the point, true mini-lap doesn't require sutures to
close; you can just cover the surgical site with a Steri-Strip or a
drop of glue. That's really the defining line in my book as to
whether it's mini or not. If you need sutures to close, it's probably
not mini.
— Jay A. Redan, MD, FACS
SUTURELESS SURGERY
Mini-Lap: Exactly What Is It?
• SPREADING THE WORD Dr. Redan (far left) helps instruct surgeons in mini-laparoscopy during a Society of
Laparoendoscopic Surgeons Fellowship Summit at the Nicholson Center in Celebration, Fla.
Nicholson
Center
staff
