Intraoperative ultrasonography during laparoscopic surgery

AIM: Of this study is the introduction and the results evaluation of laparoscopic ultrasonography performed. MATERIAL AND METHOD: We realize a prospective study about laparoscopic ultrasonography performed in 37 cases with laparoscopic surgical treatment. The Aloka SSD 2000 mobile scanner is used. This system make possible the use of an linear-array transducer, with mechanical flexibility and availability of Doppler analysis. Most frequently we used intraoperative ultrasonography in laparoscopic cholecystectomy as an alternative for cholangiography to exclude CBD pathology. Because of various surgical pathology with laparoscopic approach, the laparoscopic ultrasonography utilization range was vastly. RESULTS: In all the cases we could performed the laparoscopic ultrasonography. In 6 of 27 cases with laparoscopic cholecystectomy we found pathological disorders of bile ducts. CBD with diameter found between 5-12 mm. We properly saw the distal segment of CBD in 23 cases (89.2%), and common hepatic duct in 26 cases (97.3%). The quality of visualization was very good in 21 cases (83.8%) and moderate in 6 cases (16.2%). We easy identify CBD stones and we successfully used Doppler color mode in differentiating vascular from non-vascular from non-vascular structures. Laparoscopic ultrasonography performed in a case with left colon cancer excluded liver metastasis and lymph nodes metastasis. CONCLUSIONS: 1. Laparoscopic ultrasonography combines the advantages of diagnostic laparoscopy and intraoperative contact ultrasonography; 2. Laparoscopic ultrasonography is a simple and very efficient intraoperative examination procedure; 3. Laparoscopic ultrasonography is the technique to choose in CBD intraoperative exploration; 4. Laparoscopic ultrasonography improve abdominal malignancy exploration, thus modifying therapeutic decisions; 5. Color Doppler mode guides the surgeon's steps in difficult directions.