JSLS : Journal of the Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons
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Loss of visualization of the surgical field due to pneumoperitoneum deflation when CO2 insufflator cylinders become empty can occur at key moments during laparoscopic surgery. The purpose of this study was to examine the incidence of intraoperative cylinder exhaustion in the United Kingdom, determine its impact on patient safety, and design and test a novel device to minimize the phenomenon. ⋯ Eighty-five percent of the U.K. surgeons surveyed reported loss of surgical visualization at critical times during laparoscopic surgery, caused by the decrease in pneumoperitoneum during CO2 cylinder exchange. Eighty-four percent said that the process contributed to the surgeon's stress, and 63% said that a device that maintains uninterrupted pneumoperitoneum would reduce the risk of intraoperative complications. In our locale, a timed cylinder exchange was, on average, 30 times quicker with the novel dual valve than by conventional cylinder exchange (mean conventional exchange time, 61.3 ± 7.3 s vs. novel device, 2.0 ± 0.2 s; P ≤ .0001) and could be performed just as rapidly by staff unfamiliar with the device (2.2 ± 0.3 s vs. 1.9 ± 0.4 s P = .1945). We suggest that this simple, low-cost system could be developed for use in a clinical setting to enhance patient safety.
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Increasing awareness around patient safety and efforts to reduce medical errors has become a priority in the modern health care system. Losing needles during laparoscopic procedures is an uncommon occurrence; however, it poses a significant dilemma for the operating surgeon because retrieval can be a major challenge even for highly skilled and experienced operators. ⋯ The risks associated with retained small foreign bodies remains unknown, and there are few reports and little consensus on how surgeons should manage retained needles or other small foreign bodies during laparoscopic surgery. We propose an algorithm that may be implemented as a standard operating procedure in surgical theatres when a surgeon is faced with such a dilemma.