title: Minimally invasive needlescopic cholecystectomy.
abstract: We utilized a mini-sized grasper and retractor measuring 2.5 mm in diameter and a new mini-sized laparoscope measuring 3 mm in diameter to perform a laparoscopic cholecystectomy. A 10/12-mm trocar was inserted as the first trocar for the laparoscope and specimen extraction. Under a direct laparoscopic view, the mini-sized grasper and retractor were inserted and the laparoscopic procedures were performed mainly through the 5-mm trocar placed on the left upper quadrant as the working port. These procedures were successfully performed on five patients with a comparable operation time to that of a conventional laparoscopic cholecystectomy, but appeared to be more minimally invasive.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Akita University School of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Andoh
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Koyama
mesh_terms: D017081:Cholecystectomy, Laparoscopic / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D019723:Endoscopes; D006801:Humans; D008904:Miniaturization; D019060:Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures; D013525:Surgical Instruments