Cholecystectomy

In 2009, over a million gallbladder operations were performed in the U.S., and 95% of these procedures were done laparoscopically – regularly on an outpatient basis. When performed as open surgery, a cholecystectomy can require up to a five-day stay in the hospital and a convalescence of three to six weeks.²⁰ It's estimated that 77 percent of cholecystectomies will be performed outpatient by 2014 thanks to continued advances in, and acceptance of, minimally invasive procedures (MIP).¹⁵

We provide a number of solutions that have proven useful when performing laparoscopic cholesystectomies.

ENDOPATH® XCEL™ Trocars aid in accessing the abdominal cavity with:

• Abdominal Wall Retention – The cannula's integrated thread design provides greater stability and minimal trocar slip-outs.
• Seal Durability – Maintains abdominal insufflation while accommodating a wide range of instrument sizes (4.7mm to 12.9mm).
• Low System Drag Force – The housing and seal are designed to eliminate instrument hang-ups and provide low peak instrument insertion/extraction force.*

LIGAMAX™ 5 5mm Endoscopic Clip Applier is designed to give surgeons the ligation benefits of a 10mm clip applier in a 5mm instrument.

The Ethicon Single-Site Laparoscopy (SSL) Access System allows you to perform the entire cholecystectomy through a single incision, compared to the 3 or more typically needed for the traditional laparoscopic approach while maintaining insufflation. Its removable seal cap makes it easy to extract large specimens without removing the device.

The HARMONIC ACE® Curved Shears use ultrasonic vibrations to cut and coagulate vessels and tissue with precision. This multifunctional instrument can be used in both standard laparoscopic cholecystectomy and SSL cholecystectomy to:

• Reduce stray energy with minimal lateral thermal spread in tissues such as those in the Triangle of Calot.
• Dissect, grasp, coagulate, and cut, reducing instrument exchanges and enabling you to keep your "in-line" view, particularly important in SSL procedures.
• Generate minimal smoke so the visual field remains clearer and anatomy remains more easily identified.
• Coagulate and cut the cystic duct, potentially eliminating the need for clip appliers and scissors.

DERMABOND ADVANCED™ Topical Skin Adhesive – a unique formulation that provides patients with a triad of benefits when used in addition to sutures

• Adds strength ex vivo¹
• Inhibits bacteria in vitro^117,†
• Provides a flexible microbial barrier^117,‡

Plus Antibacterial Sutures – the only commercially available sutures with antibacterial protection

• Provides strength through critical healing period^1,155
• Protection against bacterial colonization of the suture by organisms commonly associated with surgical site infection^137,138,146