This paper presents a system for tracking the movement of laparoscopic instruments which is based on an orthogonal system of webcams and video image processing. The movements are captured with two webcams placed orthogonally inside of the physical trainer. On the image, the instruments were detected by using color markers placed on the distal tip of each instrument. The 3D position of the tip o...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Single-incision laparoscopic surgery is becoming more widely used, but few combined procedures have been reported. Herein we share our experience with single-incision laparoscopic combined cholecystectomy and appendectomy. METHODS We reviewed data from 26 patients who underwent single-incision laparoscopic combined cholecystectomy and appendectomy between May 1, 2009...

BACKGROUND Advances in minimally invasive surgical techniques will require new types of instrument end-effectors for smaller, longer, and flexible instruments. These include a new class of multifunctional instruments capable of performing more than 1 task with a single set of working jaws. Furthermore, it is desired that multifunctional instruments be designed to provide improved dexterity comp...

instrument with a small-diameter (less than 3 mm), a Mediflex disposable suture grasper closure device, as a percutaneous organholding device. The authors compared clinical outcomes between a single-port laparoscopic appendectomy (SPA) using a glove port with a percutaneous organ-holding device (group 1) and a SPA using a commercially-available multichannel single port (group 2). In group 1, a ...

OBJECTIVE Various techniques and instruments have been developed to provide safe and secure closure of laparoscopic wounds. Herein we describe a simple method to close laparoscopic supraumbilical wounds with the aid of a laparoscopic port. METHOD This was a retrospective review of prospective data, which were from 151 patients who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy for symptomatic gallsto...

PURPOSE Recently many cases of appendectomy have been conducted by single-incision laparoscopic technique. The aim of this study is to figure out the benefits of transumbilical single-port laparoscopic appendectomy (TULA) compared with conventional three-port laparoscopic appendectomy (CTLA). METHODS From 2010 to 2012, 89 patients who were diagnosed as acute appendicitis and then underwent la...