INTRODUCTION: Electrosurgery is used in virtually every laparoscopic operation. In the early days of laparoscopy with hybrid trocars, capacitive coupling was thought to be the major cause of laparoscopic electrosurgery injuries. Modern laparoscopic equipment has reduced capacitive coupling. Currently, insulation failure is thought to be the main cause of electrosurgery complications.
PURPOSE: (1) To determine the incidence of insulation failures. (2) To compare the incidence of insulation failure in reusable and disposable instruments. (3) To determine the location of insulation failures.
METHODS: At four major urban medical centers, reusable laparoscopic instruments were checked for insulation failure. Disposable L-hooks were collected following laparoscopic cholecystectomy and evaluated for insulation failure. Insulation failure was determined using a high voltage porosity detector set at 2.5kV. Statistical analysis was performed using Fisher’s exact or chi-squared analysis; * denotes significance set at p
Session: Podium Presentation
Program Number: S066