Background: Performing a surgical procedure in weightlessness has been
shown not to be any more difficult than in a 1g environment if the re
quirements for the restraint of the patient, operator, and surgical ha
rdware are observed. The feasibility of performing a laparoscopic surg
ical procedure in weightlessness, however, has been questionable. Conc
erns have included the impaired visualization from the lack of gravita
tional retraction of the bowel and from floating debris such as blood.
Methods: In this project, laparoscopic surgery was performed on a por
cine animal model in the weightlessness of parabolic flight. Results:
Visualization was unaffected due to the tethering of the bowel by the
elastic mesentery and the strong tendency for debris and blood to adhe
re to the abdominal wall due to surface tension forces. Conclusions: T
here are advantages to performing a laparoscopic instead of an open su
rgical procedure in a weightless environment. These will become import
ant as the laparoscopic support hardware is miniaturized from its pres
ent form, as laparoscopic technology becomes more advanced, and as mor
e surgically capable crew medical officers are present in future long-
duration space-exploration missions.