Variables affecting surgeons' use of, and preferences for, instrumentation in veterinary laparoscopy

To investigate the impact of variables on use and preference of common laparoscopic instruments.

Online survey.

Surgeons (n = 140) with 3 years or more laparoscopic experience.

Electronic survey distributed via specialty group LISTSERVEs and Facebook groups. Responses collected included surgeon attributes, preferences, and surgical practice data. Statistical analysis was performed using Fishers exact, ANOVA, Tukey Kramer honestly significant difference (HSD) test, linear regression, and logistic regression.

Ninety-eight of 140 respondents answered instrument-related questions and the completion rate of these questions was 76%: 48% of females and 49% of males responded to the survey. The median glove size of respondents was size 7 (range, 5.5 to 8.5). Closing laparoscopic Babcock forceps (p = .018), rotating cup biopsy forceps (p = .003), and manipulating endoscopic staplers (p < .001) were more difficult for surgeons with smaller glove sizes. The median difficulty score for the endoscopic stapler was 4/10 and the median percentage of time this was found difficult was 25%. Reusable instruments were preferred over disposable single-use instruments. The pistol grip was preferred for grasping and retracting (54/98, 55%) and fine dissection (46/96, 48%), while the axial grip was preferred for suturing and knot tying (61/98, 62%).

Surgeons with smaller glove sizes (<6.5) experience more difficulty when using common laparoscopic instruments. The endoscopic stapler was the most difficult to use.

When purchasing laparoscopic instrumentation, surgeons should review all available options in handle size and design to improve ergonomics during minimally invasive procedures.