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Laparoscopic pneumodissection: initial clinical experience
M S Pearle1, S Y Nakada, E M McDougall
1Department of Surgery (Division of Urology), Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA.
Objectives:
We evaluated the efficacy of a new laparoscopic dissecting instrument that fires intermittent bursts of high-pressure carbon dioxide to separate tissue along natural planes.
Methods:
The pneumodissector (PD) was used in 2 patients undergoing laparoscopic procedures. Serum creatinine and bicarbonate were measured before and after the procedure, and arterial blood gases were measured before, during, and after use of the PD. Subjective assessment of the ease of dissection with the PD by the first assistant was recorded.
Results:
Acidosis and hypercarbia were not observed with use of the PD. The PD facilitated dissection along the iliac vessels, around the kidney, and in the renal hilum.
Conclusions:
The PD is a feasible method for rapid, blunt dissection during laparoscopic procedures.