Instrument usage in laparoscopic gynecologic surgery: a prospective clinical trial

Purpose To evaluate instrumental usage in laparoscopic gynecological surgeries and to develop key timesets of a laparoscopic operation, which allows categorization of the operation time into different sections. Methods In this prospective clinical observational study, frequency of instrument usage, time for instrument switches, and instrument utilization time were recorded in a standardized manner for laparoscopic surgeries in 103 endoscopic surgeries. Results A standard equipment (including atraumatic grasping forceps, irrigation and suction device, bipolar clamp, and laparoscopic scissors) was used for nearly all interventions. Bipolar clamps and scissors were changed most frequently. The tool used for the longest amount of time was the atraumatic grasping forceps. Laparoscopic instruments were switched 51 times per surgery (range 2–250 times). One instrument switch lasted for a median of 0.13 min (0.08–1.2 min). Median time for instrument switch for a single surgery added up to 6.83 min. Instrument switches required 10.5% of the overall operation time. Conclusion We analyzed the current instrument usage in laparoscopic gynecological surgeries. The results of our standardized investigation suggest ways to reduce the time required for surgery and provide starting points for the standardization of the work routine.