TECHNIQUES OF PREPARATION IN LAPAROSCOPIC SURGERY AND COMPLICATIONS DUE TO THE USE OF ELECTRIC-CURRENT - RESULTS OF A SURVEY IN GERMANY

138 surgical institutions in Germany retrospectively answered a questi onnaire on available energy sources, techniques of preparation and com plications due to the use of electric current in laparoscopic surgery. The median experience in this field of surgery was 6 years. For commo n laparoscopic operations the majority of surgeons use electrosurgery; only 8% never do so. Except in appendectomy, monopolar cautery is pre ferred for all operations. Other energy devices are of minor importanc e. The overall number of operations reported was nearly 138000. The ra te of complications due to the use of electric current was 0.1%. This figure is accomted for inequal part by intra- and postoperative burns. The complication rate is at the lower end of the range known from the literature. Even though the retrospective nature of this analysis may hide a certain number of injuries electric, current plays a minor rol e for complications in laparoscopic surgery.