| ORIGINAL ARTICLE |
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| Year : 2015 | Volume
: 11
| Issue : 4 | Page : 241-245 |
Towards a better knot: Using mechanics methods to evaluate three knot-tying techniques in laparo-endoscopic single-site surgery
An An Xu, Jiang Fan Zhu, Yuantao Su
Department of Minimally Invasive Surgery, East Hospital, Tongji University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200120, China
Correspondence Address:
Jiang Fan Zhu
Department of Minimally Invasive Surgery, East Hospital, Tongji University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200120
China
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
DOI: 10.4103/0972-9941.147366
Introduction: Knot tying is difficult but important for laparo-endoscopic single-site surgery (LESS). There are several techniques for LESS knot-tying. However, objective assessment of these skills has not yet been established. The aim of this study was to assess three different knot-tying techniques in LESS using mechanical methods. Materials and Methods: The subject tied 24 knots, eight knots with each of the three techniques in an inanimate box laparoscopic trainer while the movements of their instruments were evaluated using a LESS mechanical evaluation platform. The operations were assessed on the basis of the time, average load of the dominant hand. Then, forces caused the knots to rupture were measured using a material testing system and used to compare the knots's strength. Results: The intracorporeal one-hand knot-tying technique presented significantly better time and average load scores than the extracorporeal knot-tying technique (P < 0.01), and the intracorporeal "side winding" technique was more time and average load consuming in comparison to other techniques during the performance of knot-tying (P < 0.01). The intracorporeal one-handed knot-tying knots can tolerate better distraction forces compared with the intracorporeal "side winding" knot-tying knots and the extracorporeal knot-tying knots (P < 0.05). Conclusions: The intracorporeal one-hand knot-tying technique and knots showed better results than the intracorporeal "side winding" technique and the extracorporeal knot-tying technique in terms of the time, average load taken and the force caused the knot to rupture.
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