UT Southwestern, UT Arlington to develop magnetic sur...(nical outcomes. Laparoscopic surger...),Health

Laparoscopic surgeries involve multiple instruments inserted into several small incisions rather than one large incision as with traditional surgeries. Laparoscopic surgeries have become standard procedure for removing gallbladders and kidneys, and increasingly in obesity-related surgeries; however, a limitation of laparoscopic surgery is the restricted movement of the device once inside the incision.

"A laparoscopic incision represents a fixed access point that has a limited working envelope that is conical in shape. We are working to develop the technology to move around more freely," explained Dr. Jeffrey Cadeddu, professor of urology and radiology and director of the Clinical Center for Minimally Invasive Treatment of Urologic Cancer. "The magnetic maneuverability affords a much greater range of motion inside the abdominal cavity, allowing the surgical team to more easily position instruments in their optimum locations.

"The equipment may benefit the emerging fields of laparoendoscopic single site surgery (LESS) and natural orifice translumenal endoscopic surgery (NOTES), Dr. Cadeddu said.

LESS uses one small entry point usually one incision hidden in the bellybutton to deploy multiple instruments, with the idea that fewer incisions reduce scarring and speed recovery.

NOTES deploys the instruments through existing natural orifices in the body, such as the mouth, anus or vagina, eliminating the need for any external incisions.

The conceptual advantage of natural orifice surgery is to eliminate surgical scars altogether. Surgeons also suspect that the internal organs perforated during the surgery will heal faster, be less prone to infection and be less painful for patients than external wounds made in traditional surgeries.

The idea of using magnets to manipulate the instruments in the abdominal cavity was formulated after Dr. Cadeddu watched a television show featuring teens who
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