Intravenous cannula: An instrument and a port in laparoscopic surgery

Background: An intravenous cannula was used experimentally as a cheap and scarless alternative to an endoloop to provide retraction and lumen occlusion. It is also a miniport for introduction of ligatures and small catheters. Methods: This possibility was explored during standard procedures such as laparoscopic cholecystectomy and laparoscopic appendectomy. Results: This technique was successfully applied in 89% of laparoscopic cholecystectomies and 86% of laparoscopic appendectomies. Conclusions: In many instances a standard port for laparoscopic instruments was unnecessary, despite the fact that the authors did not intentionally work towards port number reduction for laparoscopic procedures.