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Is it safe to reuse disposable laparoscopic trocars? An in vitro testing
1Department of Surgery, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, NT, Hong Kong, China.
Surgical Endoscopy
|January 11, 2000
Summary
Restoring disposable laparoscopic trocars for reuse is unsafe. Studies show they can harbor infectious viruses, including polio virus, even after sterilization, posing disease transmission risks.
Area of Science:
- Infectious Diseases
- Surgical Instrument Safety
- Sterilization Science
Background:
- Laparoscopic instruments, particularly disposable trocars, pose infection risks if reused.
- Transmission of hepatitis and HIV is a concern with reused surgical tools.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the safety of reusing disposable laparoscopic trocars.
- To determine the efficacy of resterilization in eliminating infectious viruses from trocars.
Main Methods:
- Disposable trocars were contaminated with herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV1) and polio virus.
- Trocars underwent cleaning and low-temperature steam/formaldehyde sterilization.
- Viral cultures were performed post-sterilization to detect residual viruses.
Main Results:
- Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV1) was eliminated after sterilization.
- Polio virus remained detectable in 50% of trocars exposed to high viral concentrations post-sterilization.
Conclusions:
- Disposable trocars are challenging to fully resterilize.
- Infectious viruses can persist on trocars after sterilization, indicating a risk of disease transmission.
- Reuse of disposable trocars in laparoscopic surgery is not recommended.