An ultrasonically powered instrument for laparoscopic surgery: a brief technical report of preliminary success

We report the use of an ultrasonically powered instrument (CUSA) for laparoscopic surgery. A total of 105 patients underwent laparoscopic or laparoscopic assisted surgical procedures. Ninety-one laparoscopic cholecystectomies (LC), 9 laparoscopic appendectomies (LA), 3 laparoscopic colon resections (LCR), and 2 laparoscopic partial gastrectomies (LPG) were done using CUSA. In LC, CUSA separates the areolar connective tissue between gallbladder and liver bed without dividing any sizable vessels or injuring the liver. In LA, LCR, and LPG, CUSA makes mesenteric vessel identification and division rapid and safe. We concluded that CUSA is useful for laparoscopic surgery.