Tip for microlaparoscopic cholecystectomy: easy removal of the gallbladder after laparoscopic cholecystectomy using...

The standard laparoscopic cholecystectomy usually requires four trocars: two 10-mm and two 5-mm trocars. With the development of mini-instruments, laparoscopic surgeons have developed the two- or three-port techniques. The selection of the number and size of trocars depends on the surgeon's experience and preferences. Removal of the gallbladder is critical in the mini-instrument technique. To remove the gallbladder through the umbilical port, a 5-mm telescope should be inserted through one of the 5-mm ports, or one of the 5-mm trocars should be replaced with an 11-mm trocar by extending the incision. A simple and easy technique was applied to retrieve the gallbladder without changing the telescope or extending the skin incision for the trocar port to 11 mm. When the gallbladder is detached from the liver, the surgeon grasps the neck of the gallbladder via the 5-mm trocar and positions the gallbladder in the 11-mm trocar. While the surgeon keeps the gallbladder in the 11-mm trocar with the grasper held tangentially, the assistant removes the telescope and inserts a straight-toothed grasper to capture the gallbladder neck blindly. Subsequently, the removal of the gallbladder together with the trocar follows the usual technique. We have applied this technique to all our patients with limited or no inflammation of the gallbladder.