Abstract
Gynecologic robotic surgery in the U.S. has spread rapidly; it is more advantageous than conventional laparoscopic surgery in many respects. To date, approximately 250 patients have undergone robotic surgery in our department. With robotic surgery, we instill gas into the abdominal cavity in a similar manner to that of laparoscopic surgery in order to secure space for visualization. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is usually used for laparoscopic and robotic surgery because it is relatively inexpensive, colorlessness, unscented, non-flammable, and is cleared from the body immediately. However, intraabdominal pressure often becomes unstable when we exchange surgical instruments, suction ascites, or extract vapor. Furthermore, CO2 can cause major complications such as an air embolus, or acidemia. Recently, we employed the AIRSEAL® System. This System can reduce CO2 consumption and also maintain stable intra-abdominal pressure during surgery even when we exchange surgical instruments, suction ascites, or extract vapor. In this paper, we demonstrate the efficacy of this new system. The AIRSEAL® System is extremely useful because it possesses the ability to reduce stress among the surgeons and assistants.
