title: Comparative study of surgical knots using a domestically produced Chinese surgical robot, laparoscope, or barehanded approach.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We conducted a comparative analysis of the first domestically produced Chinese surgical robot, 'MicroHand', laparoscopic, and barehanded approaches in tying surgical knots.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four surgeons performed square or triple knots individually using the three approaches and documented the operational time, circumference, the bearable tension and action trajectory for each knot.
  
  
  RESULTS
  MicroHand took more time than the barehanded method but nearly the same as with the laparoscope. The barehanded method generated the smallest knots among the three approaches and MicroHand produced smaller square knots than those by laparoscope. MicroHand and barehanded methods produced square knots displaying higher bearable tension than those produced by the laparoscope. For the action trajectory, MicroHand operated in a smaller space than that needed by the laparoscope.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The square knots produced by MicroHand were tighter and more solid than those by laparoscope, although the triple knots generated by the two methods were similar. Also MicroHand required a smaller operational space than the laparoscope.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Hunan, China.
authors.forename: Zhi
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Hunan, China.
authors.forename: Guo-Hui
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Hunan, China.
authors.forename: Lin-Li
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Hunan, China.
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Yi
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Hunan, China.
authors.forename: Zheng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Hunan, China.
authors.forename: Shai-Hong
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Zhu
mesh_terms: D002681:China; D004867:Equipment Design; D006225:Hand; D006801:Humans; D020706:Laparoscopes; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D065287:Robotic Surgical Procedures / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D066231:Surgeons; D013536:Suture Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: MicroHand; laparoscope; surgical knot; surgical robot