Miniaturized robotic laparoscope-holder for rectopexy: first results of a prospective study

Thanks to the technical progress in instrumentation, laparoscopic surgery has made considerable advances over the last decade. Various robotic systems have been introduced to assist laparoscopic procedures. A new prototype of miniaturized laparoscope-holder (called the Light Endoscope Robot [LER]) has been developed by the TIMC-IMAG-CNRS Laboratory in Grenoble, France and is now currently marketed by the French company Endocontrol™ (La Tronche, Grenoble). The aim of this pilot study was to assess the LER in clinical practice.

This was a prospective, single-center study. The LER had already been successfully validated on preclinical laboratory and cadaveric trials. The study was conducted at the Grenoble University Hospital during standardized laparoscopic rectopexies on adult patients. Demographic and operative data and qualitative results were collected prospectively and analyzed retrospectively. All patients provided written informed consent, and the study was approved by the Regional Committee for Medical and Health Research Ethics.

Between March 2008 and September 2010, 16 adult patients underwent laparoscopic rectopexy assisted by the LER. All the patients were women with an average age of 63.6 years and an average body mass index of 24 kg/m(2). The procedure was completed in 15 patients. No conversion to open surgery was required. The postoperative mortality rate was 0%, and a complication occurred in 1 patient. The surgeon graded ease of use as 7 ± 2, global comfort as 8 ± 2, and quality of vision as 8 ± 2.

This pilot study demonstrated the feasibility, safety, and comfort for the surgeon of the laparoscopic rectopexy assisted by the miniaturized light endoscope-holder LER.