Laparoscopic transabdominal suspension sutures

A limited number of access ports used in laparoscopic surgery may impair th e ability of the surgeon to achieve adequate retraction and exposure, or to stabilize "moving targets" while operating on nonfixed organs. Solutions s uch as adding more ports or using a hand-assisted technique have the disadv antages of being more invasive, possibly creating a cumbersome situation of multiple instruments in a limited working space. We describe a useful tech nique for retraction and stabilization with the use of temporary sutures th at pass through the abdominal wall. Although not new, this technique is not widely known or used, and laparoscopic surgeons may find it useful for a v ariety of applications.