Splenectomy revised: Manually assisted splenectomy with the Dexterity device (TM) - A feasibility study in 22 patients

Laparoscopic splenectomy claims a number of advantages over open surgery: l ess trauma, quicker recovery, and faster return to normal activity. On the other hand, laparoscopic splenectomy is complex and time consuming, and so far, many surgeons are reluctant to perform such an operation. A new device was designed to give manual access to the abdomen through a utility laparo tomy. By using one hand in the abdomen during laparoscopy, the surgeon rega ins direct tactile sense and hand-eye coordination. A pilot study to assess the feasibility of this method has been performed in 22 patients. The oper ation could be completed easily in 21 patients (95%). The average blood los s was 230 mt, and the average postoperative stay was 3.9 days. With this si mple, inexpensive method, it is possible to combine the established conveni ence, safety, efficacy of open surgery with the advantages of minimally inv asive surgery.