title: The lost needle: a laparoscopic dilemma.
abstract: A case is presented in which a curved needle became lost during extracorporeal suturing in laparoscopic surgery. Maneuvers to find the needle were fruitless until an intraoperative x-ray showed it was stuck in the flapper mechanism of a laparoscopic cannula. Caution is given against the use of "pop-off" needles during extracorporeal suturing and an x-ray of cannulae is suggested when a lost needle cannot be found using routine maneuvers.
authors.affiliation: University of Tennessee, Memphis.
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: T E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Lobe
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D006552:Hernia, Inguinal / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D020706:Laparoscopes; D009339:Needles; D013536:Suture Techniques