Veress needles (VN) are commonly used in establishing pneumoperitoneum in laparoscopic surgery. Previously, a VN with a new safety mechanism 'VeressPLUS' needle (VN+) was developed to reduce the amount of overshoot.
Methods: Eighteen participants (novices, intermediates, and experts) performed in total of 248 insertions in a systematic way on Thiel-embalmed bodies with wide and small bore versions of the conventional VN (VNc) and the VN+. Insertion depth was measured by recording the graduations on the needle under direct laparoscopic vision.
Results: Participants graded the bodies and the procedures as lifelike. Overall, a significant reduction (P<0.001) in average insertion depth was found for the VN+ compared to the VNc of 26.0 SD16 mm versus 46.2 SD15 mm. The insertion depth difference in the novice group was higher compared to the intermediates and experts (P<0.001). The average insertion depth for both needle types was less (P<0.001) for female participants compared to male.
Conclusion: This study indicated that the VN+ significantly reduced the insertion depth in all tested conditions. Whether the difference between female and male performance can be linked to differences in muscle control or arm mass should be further investigated. Useful technical information was gathered from this study to further improve the VN+.
Keywords: entry technique; laparoscopy; safety mechanism; veress needle.
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