The lost needle: a laparoscopic dilemma.
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.
Smith
B M
BM
University of Tennessee, Memphis.
Brown
R A
RA
Lobe
T E
TE
D002648:Child; D006552:Hernia, Inguinal / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D020706:Laparoscopes; D009339:Needles; D013536:Suture Techniques