Spindle-like abdominal wall-lifting device in gasless laparoscopic surgery in animal experiments

Abstract

Introduction: CO2 pneumoperitoneum has been used to establish an operation space in laparoscopic surgery. It may have some bad consequences, such as respiratory and circulatory system changes, hypotension and hypoxia in infants and the release of free tumor cells into the abdominal cavity. Gasless laparoscopic technique can avoid these adverse effects. But present gasless laparoscopic techniques have their own disadvantages. The main shortcoming of gasless laparoscopic techniques is inadequate operative space. Material and methods: We herein describe a new technique. We used a self-designed spindle-like abdominal wall-lifting device to perform gasless laparoscopic cholecystectomy in seven pigs, recording the operation time, bleeding volume and unexpected occurrences during the operation. Results: Seven pigs underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy using this technique with no conversion to open operation. The operation time was between 21minutes and 65 minutes, with a mean operative time of 42.5 minutes. The range of bleeding volumes was 2 ml to 8 ml, with a mean operative bleeding volume of 4.3ml. There were no massive hemorrhages, internal organ injuries or other complications during the operation. Conclusions: These preliminary outcomes indicate that the spindle-like abdominal wall-lifting device is feasible and safe in gasless laparoscopic cholecystectomy, which can provide sufficient exposure of the operative filed.