Modification of Gore suture passer instrument.
BACKGROUND
The Gore suture passer instrument is an ideal reusable device for various laparoscopic procedures albeit with a few drawbacks. The needle is not self-retracting inside the sheath and this leads to incomplete (manual) retraction of the needle, causing bending and breakage of the needle tip. The intracorporeal orientation of the suture grasper is difficult to maintain because the needle and suture grasper is fully rotational inside the handle.


METHODS
We rectified these drawbacks by inserting a spring below the connecting nut in the handle component to make the needle self-retracting. The needle and suture grasper was stabilized by a screw in the main body of the handle to fit in a longitudinal slot cut on the brass connecting nut.


RESULTS
Our modification made the needle and suture grasper self-retracting inside the sheath and stabilize the needle during the insertion. We have used this modified suture passer on 80 patients without breakage and bending of the needle.


CONCLUSIONS
This modification has made this device user friendly, steady, and has reduced the operation time.
Golash
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Department of General Surgery, Sultan Qaboos Hospital, P.O. Box 98, Salalah, 211, Sultanate of Oman.
D004867:Equipment Design; D046449:Hernia, Abdominal / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy; D009339:Needles; D013525:Surgical Instruments; D013526:Surgical Mesh; D013537:Sutures