Coming to terms with the fact that the evidence for laparoscopic entry is as good as it gets.

Entry to the peritoneal cavity for laparoscopic surgery is associated with defined morbidity, with all entry techniques associated with substantial complications. Debate over the safest entry technique has raged over the last 2 decades, and yet, we are no closer to arriving at a scientifically valid conclusion regarding technique superiority. With hundreds of thousands of patients required to perform adequately powered studies, it is unlikely that appropriately powered comparative studies could be undertaken. This review examines the risk of complications related to laparoscopic entry, current statements from examining bodies around the world, and the medicolegal ramifications of laparoscopic entry complications. Because of the numbers required for any complications study, with regard to arriving at an evidence-based decision for laparoscopic entry, we ask: is the current literature perhaps as good as it gets?

Serosal Injury to a Distended Stomach during Open Entry for Laparoendoscopic Single-Site Surgery.

Complications related to open entry for laparoscopic procedures are relatively rare, and the incidence of closed entry-related complications is 0.4 per 1000 cases. We report a case of serosal injury to a distended stomach that was caused during open entry. A 37-year-old woman presented with a 1-year history of dysmenorrhea. Transvaginal ultrasonography revealed a uterine myoma and cesarean section (C/S) wound defect. Laparoscopic single-site myomectomy and repair of the C/S wound defect were planned. Open abdominal entry was achieved at the umbilicus, and the patient's stomach was distended and injured by the electric knife (30 watts). After identifying the injury, we inserted a nasogastric tube to deflate the stomach and repaired the gastric serosal injury. The laparoscopic myomectomy and C/S defect repair were subsequently performed without complications. The patient has remained free from complications during the 1-year follow-up. Gastric serosal injury during open entry is a rare complication. Insertion of a nasopharyngeal tube and routine percussion of the abdomen before entering the abdominal cavity are the most important steps to prevent this complication.

Presentation of an open entry technique for laparoscopy through a congenital defect in the umbilical fascia.

OBJECTIVE: We present and describe a modification of the Hasson open entry technique to gain access to the abdominal cavity for laparoscopy in which a congenital defect in the umbilical fascia is identified for entry into the peritoneum and insertion of the primary port. METHODS: A single centre, prospective, observational, pilot study has been conducted with no change in clinical practice. Data regarding the success of the technique, time to laparoscope insertion, complications and patient risk factors were collected and presented. RESULTS: The team enrolled 114 patients that had the St Helier technique attempted for entry in the abdominal cavity. Entry was achieved for all patients. The technique had 82.5 % success rate while this reduced to 65 % in patients with previous laparoscopies. The mean time to insertion of the laparoscope was 220 s, and there was no significant difference in success with variation in BMI. We recorded no minor or significant intra-operative complications. The superficial wound infection rate was 2.6 % with no other postoperative complications identified at 6-week follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: The presented technique is a safe and successful method of laparoscopic entry with a presumed shorter time until laparoscope insertion than other techniques used. The absence of complications could be attributed to the avoidance of sharp dissection of the umbilical fascia. The less invasive nature could reduce risks of hematoma, infection or hernia that are associated with the standard entry techniques used. Formal studies of long-term outcomes are required, as well as evaluating use in emergency and contaminated cases.

Laparoscopic Removal of a 40-cm Paratubal Cyst in a Morbidly Obese Patient.

Paratubal cysts (PTCs) are remnants of the paramesonephric or the mesonephric ducts that are present during embryogenesis. They are mostly benign; however, malignancy has been described. The incidence of PTCs is estimated to be 5%-20% of all adnexal masses. They can present in any age group but most commonly the third or fourth decades. Huge PTCs exceeding 10-15 cm in diameter are considered rare and challenging, as only a few cases have been reported that describe complete laparoscopic excision. A simple asymptomatic PTC can be managed expectantly; however, surgery is mandatory if the cyst is huge, complicated, or causes severe symptoms. In this article, we describe a laparoscopic removal of a 40-cm PTC in a 32-year- old woman, as the largest PTC in literature that was removed by laparoscopy.