Comparison of efficiencies of three techniques for colon surgery.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the most efficient technique for performing a colectomy, we used the methodology of time-motion analysis.


METHODS
The efficiency of five hand-assisted and six regular laparoscopic colectomies and one open colectomy, performed by four surgeons in three different hospitals, was measured. The open colectomy was analyzed as a reference procedure.


CONCLUSIONS
The hand-assisted laparoscopic technique was the most efficient. Hand-assisted laparoscopy was therefore less time consuming than laparoscopic surgery. Open surgery was the fastest technique, because the time for every surgical motion is a factor of three shorter than for the two laparoscopic techniques.
Sjoerdsma
W
W
Faculty of Design, Engineering and Production, Section Man-Machine Systems, Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands. w.sjoerdsma@amc.uva.nl
Meijer
D W
DW
Jansen
A
A
den Boer
K T
KT
Grimbergen
C A
CA
D003082:Colectomy / Q000379:methods*; D004210:Dissection / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D013996:Time and Motion Studies