‘Gentle touch’ surgery

Press, 26 December 1985, Page 12

‘Gentle touch’ surgery

By

Mary Dryden

in London

A new mini-laparoscope with the “gentle touch” for use in sterilisation operations on women, will eliminate scarring. Mr Edwin McKenzie, consultant gynaecologist at Darlington Memorial Hospital in north-east England, has produced a minilaparoscope, or abdominal telescope, which is only 2.7 mm in diameter. Only a tiny hole 80 times smaller than needed for previous laparoscopes is made, leaving no scar. Mr McKenzie found conventional laparoscopes, used in investigation of joints, gave poor quality vision of the abdomen. “Joints such as knee joints have a white surface, but colours in the abdomen are dark and non-reflect-ing, so much more light and stnipger lenses are needed,£ said MrMcKenzie. >

The laparoscope can take perfect panoramic and close-up photographs and video, using a 300 watt bulb, liquid light cable and Rod lenses only one millimetre in diameter. Made of stainless steel, the laparoscope is 180 mm long. A trochar makes the instrument air-tight and provides a point for the abdominal telescope. And a cannula guides it through the trochar. A bung prevents escape of carbon dioxide, used during the operation. The mini-laparoscope is used in sterilisation operations in tandem with grasping diathermy forceps — already developed by Mr McKenzie — so only two tiny holes are required. Using the new laparoscope, surgical clips are not needed, 80 per cent of patients experience no pain and 90 per cent can go home after four hours*'

“This is a great move towards gentleness,” said Mr McKenzie, “I have seen patients 12 weeks after an operation, and there is no external scarring and internal scarring is minimal.” More operations could also be carried out under local anaesthetic. The laparoscope took Mr McKenzie 18 months to develop. Six are being used by other surgeons in north-east England, and a manufacturer hopes to produce it commercially. The laparoscope could also be used in thoracic surgery, in abdominal paediatric surgery, and in in-vitro fertilisation, or egg collecting. “There are many uses, and it is for individual surgeons to discover its potential,” said Mr McKenzie. London Press Service.