title: Removal of bulky tissue at laparoscopic surgery.
abstract: A technique for extraction of bulky tissue during laparoscopic surgery is presented. One laparoscopic cannula is replaced with a sigmoidoscope which acts as a wide-bore cannula. At laparoscopic cholecystectomy, 22 of 60 (38%) patients were found to require wound enlargement to remove a grossly diseased gall-bladder. Use of a sigmoidoscope as a cannula was associated with fewer technical complications than surgical wound extension. At laparoscopic appendicectomy, the appendix could not be removed through the standard laparoscopic cannula in 16 of 46 (31%) cases. The incidence of wound infection was significantly lower after laparoscopic appendicectomy than among a group of 98 patients having conventional appendicectomy (P = 0.024). It is concluded that a sigmoidoscope can be used as a replacement cannula allowing uncomplicated removal of bulky tissue and reducing wound contamination.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Sha Tin.
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Tate
authors.forename: W Y
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Lau
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D001062:Appendectomy; D017081:Cholecystectomy, Laparoscopic; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy