Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) is widely accepted as a standard procedure, however, higher complication rates are reported than open cholecystectomy. Aim of this study is to evaluate the usefulness of a portable laparoscopic doppler probe (LapaDop, HADECO, Kawasaki, Japan) for the prevention of arterial injury.
LapaDop is light and compact equipment (75×280×65 mm, Wt 500g) . It has a frequency of 8 MHz and the probe is 4.8 mm in diameter that fits through a 5 mm laparoscopic port. We used this equipment for 30 patients who underwent LC. Cystic artery and other possible vascular structures were scanned before cauterization or ligation. The blood velocity wave, mean blood velocity speed and the heart rates were also measured and recorded.
Vascular structures were identified in all cases without any injuries. Mean blood velocity speed of cystic artery was 8.3 cm/sec while the right hepatic artery was 20 cm/sec.
To prevent the arterial injury, doppler probe was useful because it is easy to use and reliable to identify the vascular structures during LC.
