Surgical glove use for specimen removal in laparoscopy, the cheapest available: a prospective study

Despite the proven benefits of laparoscopic surgery, it is indeed very costly. The aim of our study was to show an effective way to reduce one of the costs. Between January 2012 and December 2018, we used sterile unpowdered latex-free surgical gloves for specimen retrieval in 243 selected cases of laparoscopic cholecystectomy and appendectomy. The mean retrieval time was 6.7 ± 3.6 min. All procedures were performed safely. Minor wound infection was noted in three patients but there was no case of port site hernia in our series. We conclude that specimen retrieval using sterile, unpowdered, latex-free surgical gloves is safe, effective and cheap. No special additional preparation is required.