Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32974779›Full record

ArticleSurgical endoscopy2021

Stop the leak!: Mitigating potential exposure of aerosolized COVID-19 during laparoscopic surgery.

John M Uecker, Austin Fagerberg, Naser Ahmad, Alexander Cohen, Mitchell Gilkey, Farshid Alembeigi, Christopher R Idelson

Open access · bronzeAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Surgical endoscopy, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
1.4field-weighted citation impact, top 15% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 12 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Clear Vision, Clear Savings: Enhancing Efficiency in Minimally Invasive Surgery.JSLS : Journal of the Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons
    Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Safety of Three-Dimensional versus Two-Dimensional Laparoscopic Hysterectomy during the COVID-19 Pandemic.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022
    Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Bioaerosols during transanal minimally invasive surgery.International journal of colorectal disease · 2021
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

John M Uecker *ClearCam Inc, Austin, TX, 78744, USA.
Austin FagerbergClearCam Inc, Austin, TX, 78744, USA.
Naser AhmadClearCam Inc, Austin, TX, 78744, USA.
Alexander CohenDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA.
Mitchell GilkeyClearCam Inc, Austin, TX, 78744, USA.
Farshid Alembeigi *Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA.
Christopher R Idelson *ClearCam Inc, Austin, TX, 78744, USA. cidelson@clearcam-med.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7521-8827
The University of Texas at Austin · USClearside Biomedical (United States) · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundViral particles have been shown to aerosolize into insufflated gas during laparoscopic surgery. In the operating room, this potentially exposes personnel to aerosolized viruses as well as carcinogens. In light of circumstances surrounding COVID-19 and a concern for the safety of healthcare professionals, our study seeks to quantify the volumes of gas leaked from dynamic interactions between laparoscopic instruments and the trocar port to better understand potential exposure to surgically aerosolized particles.

methodsA custom setup was constructed to simulate an insufflated laparoscopic surgical cavity. Two surgical instrument use scenarios were examined to observe and quantify opportunities for insufflation gas leakage. Both scenarios considered multiple configurations of instrument and trocar port sizes/dimensions: (1) the full insertion and full removal of a laparoscopic instrument from the port and (2) the movement of the scope within the port, recognized as "dynamic interaction", which occurs nearly 100% of the time over the course of any procedure.

resultsFor a 5 mm instrument in a 5 mm trocar, the average volume of gas leaked during dynamic interaction and full insertion/removal scenarios were 43.67 and 25.97 mL of gas, respectively. Volume of gas leaked for a 5 mm instrument in a 12 mm port averaged 41.32 mL and 29.47 for dynamic interaction vs. instrument insertion and removal. Similar patterns were shown with a 10 mm instrument in 12 mm port, with 55.68 mL for the dynamic interaction and 58.59 for the instrument insertion/removal.

conclusionsDynamic interactions and insertion/removal events between laparoscopic instruments and ports appear to contribute to consistent leakage of insufflated gas into the OR. Any measures possible taken to reduce OR gas leakage should be considered in light of the current COVID-19 pandemic. Minimizing laparoscope and instrument removal and replacement would be one strategy to mitigate gas leakage during laparoscopic surgery.

Indexed as

Personnel, HospitalAerosolsCOVID-19HumansInfection ControlInfectious Disease Transmission, Patient-to-ProfessionalInsufflationLaparoscopyOccupational DiseasesOccupational ExposureAerosolsCoronavirusCOVID-19ExposureInsufflationLaparoscopyOperating room

Identifiers

PMID32974779
PMCPMC7513904
OpenAlexW3089298792

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.