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BACKGROUND Laparoscopic liver resection of tumors located in segments 7 and 8 are considered a complex resection. The aim of this study was to compare the intraoperative and early postoperative outcomes of patients operated by pure laparoscopic (PLS) vs hand-assisted laparoscopic surgery (HALS). METHODS From January 2003 to January 2021, we included patients with minimally invasive surgery for lesions located in segments 7 and 8. To overcome selection bias, we performed 1:1 propensity score matching (PSM) between HALS and PLS cohorts, including 30 patients in each of the groups. Of the 60 patients who underwent PSM, we compared the first 30 patients with the following 30 patients. RESULTS A total of 79 LLRs were performed, 46 by HALS and 33 by PLS. After PSM, in the PLS cohort, cirrhosis was more frequent (33.3% vs. 13.3%, p = 0.02). The surgical time, blood loss, Pringle maneuver, clamping time, and morbidity were similar between both groups, but with a lower hospital stay in the PLS group (3 days vs. 4 days, p

The objective of this study is to determine the feasibility and explore criteria for patient selection for three methods of LESS myomectomy: conventional (C-LESS), robotic-assisted (RA-LESS), and hand-assisted (HA-LESS). This was a retrospective case review of 72 patients with uterine myomas, conducted in a large academic tertiary care hospital between March 1, 2015, and November 7, 2018. LESS myomectomy via conventional, robotic, and hand-assisted routes. 43 patients underwent C-LESS, 15 underwent RA-LESS, and 14 underwent HA-LESS, with no conversions to open abdominal myomectomy. The operative outcomes were compared across the three approaches. The HA-LESS group had the largest mean number (HA: 6.9; C: 3.7; RA: 2.9, P=0.001), diameter (HA: 11.3 cm; C: 9.3 cm; RA: 7.1 cm, P=0.035), and weight (HA: 850.1 g; C: 320.7 g; RA: 181.1 g, P=0.003) of myomas removed per patient. The use of this method was also found to have a direct correlation with estimated preoperative uterine size (HA: 20.1 weeks; C: 16.2 weeks; RA: 12.0 weeks, P=0.001. Operative time and postoperative stay were found to be not statistically different across groups. We conclude that all three types of LESS myomectomy are feasible with comparable surgical outcomes. Most importantly, our findings indicate that hand assistance can be combined with C-LESS myomectomy for large or multi-fibroid uterus without compromising operating time or patient recovery. Notably, we found that uterine size could be a useful tool for the determination of the surgical approach.

Background To examine the association of preoperative Mayo Adhesive Probability (MAP) scores in the donor (MAPd) and non-donor kidneys (MAPnd) with post-donation renal function. Methods Three hundred thirty-one patients undergoing hand assisted laparoscopic donor nephrectomy (HALDN) were reviewed. MAPd and MAPnd were obtained. Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was recorded preoperatively and at 1 day, 1 month, and 6 months postoperatively. Results Two hundred females and 131 males were evaluated with median BMI 26.4 kg/m2 (range 17.1–39.6) and median age 45 years (range 19–78). MAPd score was 0 for 231 patients (69.8%) and > 0 for 100 patients (30.2%). MAPnd score was 0 for 234 patients (70.7%) and > 0 for 97 patients (29.3%). The median preoperative eGFR was 86.6 ml/min/1.73m2 (range 48.8–138.4). After adjusting for preoperative eGFR, BMI, ASA score, and kidney sidedness, postoperative eGFR was associated with MAP score in the non-donated kidney (p = 0.014) but not in the donated kidney (p = 0.24). Compared to donors with MAPnd = 0, donors with a MAPnd > 0, mean eGFR was − 2.33 ml/min/1.73m2 lower at postoperative day 1 (95% CI − 4.24 to − 0.41, p = 0.018), − 3.02 ml/min/1.73m2 lower at 1 month (95% CI − 5.11 to − 0.93, p = 0.005), and − 2.63 ml/min/1.73m2 lower at 6 months postoperatively (95% CI − 5.01 to − 0.26, p = 0.030). Conclusions MAP score > 0 in the non-donated kidney is associated with worse renal function in the 6 months following HALDN.

Optimizing a living kidney donation program is important to guarantee a high grade of acceptance among potential donors. Hand-assisted retroperitoneoscopic donor nephrectomy (HARP) is an alternative to the open anterior approach (AA) technique. Problems associated to the learning curve could hinder a transition. 3D display technique seems to ease minimally invasive surgery. Aim of this study was to evaluate the learning curve during the transition from AA to HARP and the influence of the 3D display system on the established technique. Observational study (n = 207) during transition to HARP and introduction of 3D display technique. Operation time (OT), warm ischemia time (WIT) and blood loss (BL) of HARP decreased during transition. Pairwise group comparison for OT showed a significant learning effect for the first 30 out of 50 HARPs without influence on graft function. Between AA and HARP no significant difference in OT (133 ± 24 vs. 127 ± 19 min, p = 0.25) but for WIT (23 ± 28 vs. 126 ± 40 s, p

Background Although conventional laparoscopic and hand-assisted laparoscopic surgery for colorectal cancer is widely used today, there remain many technical challenges especially for right colon cancer in obese patients. Herein, we develop a novel hand-assisted laparoscopic surgery (HALS) with complete mesocolic excision (CME), D3 lymphadenectomy, and a total “no-touch” isolation technique (HALS-CME) in right hemicolectomy to overcome these issues. According to previous clinic practice, this novel procedure is not only feasible and safe but has several technical merits. However, the feasibility, short-term minimally invasive virtues, long-term oncological superiority, and potential total “no-touch” isolation technique benefits of HALS-CME should be confirmed by a prospective randomized controlled trial. Methods/design This is a single-center, open-label, noninferiority, randomized controlled trial. Eligible participants will be randomly assigned to the HALS-CME group or to the laparoscopic surgery with CME, D3 lymphadenectomy, and total “no-touch” isolation technique (LAP-CME) group, or to conventional laparoscopic surgery with CME and D3 lymphadenectomy (cLAP) group at a 1:1:1 ratio using a centralized randomization list. Primary endpoints include safety, efficacy, and being oncologically clear, and 3-year disease-free, progression-free, and overall survival. Second endpoints include operative outcomes (operation time, blood loss, and incision length), pathologic evaluation (grading the plane of surgery, length of proximal and distal resection margins, distance between the tumor and the central arterial high tie, distance between the nearest bowel wall and the same high tie, area of mesentery resected, width of the chain of lymph-adipose tissue, length of the central lymph-adipose chain, number of harvested lymph nodes), and postoperative outcomes (pain intensity, postoperative inflammatory and immune responses, postoperative recovery). Discussion This trial will provide valuable clinical evidence for the feasibility, safety, and potential total “no-touch” isolation technique benefits of HALS-CME for right hemicolectomy. The hypothesis is that HALS-CME is feasible for the radical D3 resection of right colon cancer and offers short-term safety and long-term oncological superiority compared with conventional laparoscopic surgery. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02625272. Registered on 8 December 2015. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13063-017-2084-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Hand-assisted laparoscopic (HAL) colorectal resection remains controversial. Critics believe HAL methods lead to decreased use of laparoscopically assisted (LA) methods. Proponents believe selective HAL use increases minimally invasive surgery (MIS) use rates. This study assessed general and body mass index (BMI)-specific HAL and LA colorectal resection use by surgeons who embraced both methods.This study retrospectively investigated 1,122 patients who underwent colorectal resection during an 8-year period. Surgical method, type of colorectal resection, BMI, comorbidities, incision length, and short-term outcomes were collected.The surgical methods included LA (60 %), HAL (25 %), and open (OP 15 %) procedures. The HAL group mean BMI was higher than that of the LA group (P0.0001), and the HAL use rate varied directly with BMI. The HAL technique was used for 48 % of the rectal, 36 % of the sigmoid, and 4 % of the right colorectal resections. The incision length was directly proportional to BMI for all the methods. Although the HAL incision lengths were significantly longer than the LA incision lengths for a BMI lower than 40 kg/m(2), there was no difference when the BMI was 40 kg/m(2) or higher. The comorbidities were greater in the HAL group than in the LA sigmoid colorectal resection group (P = 0.001). The mean hospital length of stay (LOS) was similar for the HAL and LA patients but longer for the open surgery patients (P0.0001 vs HAL group). The major complications, reoperations, and 30-day mortality rates were low and comparable.The HAL methods were used primarily for sigmoid and rectal colorectal resections and for higher BMI patients with more comorbidities. The mean incision length difference between the HAL and LA methods was 3.9 cm, but neither the LOS nor the major postoperative complications differed significantly. Selective use of HAL together with LA methods led to a MIS use rate of 85 % and facilitated MIS for high BMI patients. Together, the methods are complementary and may increase the number of minimally invasive surgeries performed.

We report a 78-year-old male who underwent successful resection of a gastric tube cancer by hand-assisted thoracoscopic surgery. The patient was initially placed in the supine position, and the abdominal portion of the gastric tube was mobilized via upper midline laparotomy. A pedicled colonic graft supplied by the left colic artery was prepared. The patient was then moved to the left decubitus position, and five ports were placed in the right chest wall. The surgeon stood in front of the patient, and inserted his left hand into the right pleural cavity through the laparotomy incision. After the whole gastric tube was successfully mobilized, the patient was returned to the supine position. The gastric tube was reconstructed with the pedicled colonic graft via the subcutaneous route. The surgical resection margins were free of cancer. The patient currently survives more than 16 months after surgery.

Minimally invasive approaches have gradually evolved to become the golden standard in several surgical procedures. Laparoscopic splenectomy has been performed for several years offering similar or even better results compared to open surgery. Approaches in laparoscopic splenectomy regarding the positioning of the patient and the operative procedure still vary in the literature. Several new techniques and combinations of the existing methods are currently evaluated in an effort to overcome contraindications and offer optimum results in terms of safety, effectiveness and postoperative quality of life. This study aims to review the different approaches of minimal invasive splenectomy with specific emphasis on the technical issues of lateral and anterior laparoscopic, hand assisted, single port laparoscopic, robotic and transluminal endoscopic techniques.

Hand-assisted laparoscopic colectomy has been introduced as an alternative to standard laparoscopy. However, to date, it has not been established whether intraabdominal placement of a hand abrogates the benefits of minimally invasive techniques. The authors hypothesized that the hand-assisted approach confers advantages of minimal access surgery over traditional open colectomy.Consecutive patients undergoing elective open (OC) and hand-assisted (HALC) colon resections were retrospectively reviewed. Open colectomies performed by the laparoscopic surgeons were excluded. Outcome measures included patient demographics, operative time, perioperative complications, operative and total hospital charges, and length of hospital stay. Statistical analysis was performed with a p value less than 0.05 considered significant.The study identified and reviewed 323 consecutive elective OCs and 66 consecutive elective HALCs. Of these, 228 OCs (70.6%) and 52 HALCs (78.8%) were left-sided. The two groups were similar in age, sex, and body mass index (BMI). The mean operative time was longer in the HALC group (202 vs 160 min; p0.05). No major intraoperative complications occurred in either group, and no conversions from HALC to OC were performed. Postoperatively, 14 OC patients (3.8%) required blood transfusion versus no HALC patients. The rate of wound infections also was higher in the OC group (3.4%, n=11) than in the HALC group (1.5%, n=1) (p=0.04). All seven mortalities (2.3%) occurred in the OC group. The median hospital stay was significantly shorter in the HALC group (5.3 vs 8.4 days; p0.001). The total hospital charges were significantly lower in the HALC group ($24,132 vs $33,150; p0.001).Hand-assisted laparoscopic colectomy is a safe alternative to traditional open colonic resection. In this series, it was associated with decreased postoperative morbidity and mortality. Despite longer operative times, the use of the hand-assisted techniques significantly reduced the hospital stay and decreased the total hospital charges. Overall, in the elective setting, hand-assisted laparoscopic colectomy appears to be advantageous over the traditional open colectomy.

Single-incision laparoscopic colorectal surgery is an emerging modality. We incorporated this technique as an alternative to hand-assisted laparoscopic surgery. We investigated intraoperative and short-term outcomes following single-incision laparoscopic colectomy compared with hand-assisted laparoscopic colectomy.Between July and November 2009, single-incision colorectal procedures were performed and matched to hand-assisted procedures based on five criteria: gender, age, body mass index, pathology, and type of procedure. Demographic, intraoperative, and postoperative data were assessed.Twenty-four pairs of patients with a mean age of 55.1 years and mean body mass index of 28.5 kg/m(2) were matched. The majority of cases (79.2%) were right hemicolectomies. The ranges of incision length were 2-6 cm (single incision) and 5-11 cm (hand-assisted). Mean operating time was significantly longer for single-incision procedures (143.2 min) compared with hand-assisted procedures (112.8 min), p0.0004. There was no significant difference in the groups regarding conversions or intraoperative complications (p0.083 and p1.0, respectively). Mean length of stay for the single-incision approach (2.7 days) was significantly shorter compared with the hand-assisted approach (3.3 days), p0.02.Single-incision laparoscopic colectomy is a safe and feasible alternative to hand-assisted laparoscopic surgery. Although the technique required longer operative time, it resulted in smaller incision size and significantly shorter length of hospitalization.

The ability to locate, select and interact with objects is fundamental to most Virtual Reality (VR) applications. Recently, it was demonstrated that the virtual hand metaphor, a technique commonly used for these tasks, can also be employed to control the virtual camera, resulting in improved performance and user evaluation in visual search tasks. In this work, we further investigate the effects of hand-assisted viewing on user behavior in immersive virtual environments. We demonstrate that hand-assisted camera control significantly changes the way how people operate their virtual hands, on motor, cognitive, and behavioral levels.

A male patient in his thirties was referred with dysphagia lasting 8 years. He had a history of a laparotomy for a testicular tumor in his twenties. From an upper gastrointestinal contrast X-ray, he was diagnosed to have sigmoid-type achalasia (greatest transverse diameter, 80 mm). Hand-assisted laparoscopic Heller-Dor surgery was performed because straightening of the esophagus using only a laparoscope was difficult due to the marked curvature of the lower mediastinal part of the esophagus and the history of a laparotomy. The postoperative course was excellent; the patient was discharged on day 9. At present, his dysphagia has disappeared and oral intake is satisfactory. Marked improvement was also found on a timed barium esophagogram. In sigmoid-type achalasia, there are limitations to straightening of the lower esophagus, so the improvement of symptoms is frequently insufficient. The present surgical method allows overcoming these difficulties and is very effective.

The technique of hand-assisted colectomy was introduced in the 1990s but initially was not widely embraced by the minimally invasive community [1, 2]. However, in the past 4–6 years the popularity of hand-assisted methods has increased considerably. One reason for the surge in interest was the publication of the Clinical Outcomes of Surgical Therapy (COST) findings, which suggested that laparoscopic colectomy for cancer was associated with comparable oncological outcome and improved short-term results [3]. Many surgeons who had not been performing laparoscopic colectomy now felt it was safe to do so and, thus, began utilizing minimally invasive methods. Another important reason for the increased utilization of handassisted methods in recent years was the introduction of secondand third-generation devices that are far easier to use and are more versatile than the initial devices. As the use of hand-assisted techniques has increased, a rift has developed in the minimally invasive world regarding the appropriateness and need for hand-assisted methods. Strong proponents believe that hand-assisted methods are appropriate for all left-sided colorectal resections whereas others feel strongly that, for an experienced minimally invasive surgeon, there is no need for hand-assisted methods at all. Until recently, the relatively sparse published literature on the subject has been insufficient to settle the dispute. However, the recent multicenter randomized study presented at the 2007 American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons (ASCRS) meeting sheds further light on the subject. This study suggested that handassisted colectomy is associated with time savings of 33 and 57 min for left segmental colectomy and total abdominal colectomy, respectively. Importantly, the shortterm clinical outcomes of hand-assisted procedures were comparable to those obtained using straight laparoscopic methods [4]. The mean incision length for the hand-assisted group was 8.2 cm as opposed to 6.1 cm for the laparoscopic group. Despite these findings, the controversy continues. Laparoscopic ‘‘purists’’ believe that there is little or no place for hand-assisted methods because the straight laparoscopic approach results in a smaller final incision. Since the whole point of laparoscopy is to minimize abdominal wall trauma, they can find no acceptable rationale for ‘‘giving back’’ incision length to accommodate hand methods. Some feel that the abdominal wall trauma incurred with hand-assisted operations more resembles an open rather than a minimally invasive operation. They maintain that, with the proper skills and training, straight laparoscopic resections are feasible and clearly preferable to hand-assisted approaches. Straight laparoscopic proponents also worry that surgeons who exclusively learn handassisted methods will never master the two-handed technique and are not likely to cross the bridge to straight laparoscopic resection. Thus, a cadre of hand-assisted surgeons is likely to arise who will be doing a second best type of resection. Hand-assisted proponents believe that, clinically, for the majority, the recovery and morbidity of hand-assisted patients is very close to if not the same as patients that undergo straight laparoscopic resection. Further, they point out that the difference in overall incision size between the two approaches is not that great. Supporters also believe S. Stein New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY, United States

Objective To assess current role of laparoscopic resection for pancreatic cancer, so as to improve the surgical management of pancreatic cancer.

Hand-assisted laparoscopy was first performed in the 1990s by inserting the surgeon's finger or hand through a small tight wound. Although leakage of gas from the incision initially limited the usefulness of the technique, the hand-assisted procedures have advanced extensively since the introduction of the hand-assisted laparoscopy port. Laparoscopic procedure has only rarely been applied to radical cystoprostatectomy. Favorable reports for laparoscopic radical prostatectomy encouraged us to attempt a cystoprostatectomy under hand-assisted laparoscopy.The patient was a 70-year-old male with an invasive bladder tumor and no distant metastasis. Informed consent for undergoing hand-assisted laparoscopic radical cystoprostatectomy and ileal conduit construction was obtained.The bladder was dissected free and extracted whole through the incision for the hand port. The bilateral ureters and a loop of small intestine were withdrawn through the same incision. An ileal segment was isolated and small intestine continuity was recovered. Each ureter was anastomosed to one extreme of the ileal segment that was then reintroduced into the abdomen. The stoma was constructed through the right side port without additional incision. No intraoperative complications were observed. Recuperation was unusually quick and painless, and few postoperative analgesics were needed.Hand-assisted laparoscopic cystoprostatectomy and urinary diversion could provide the advantage of decreased postoperative morbidity without the long operation time and technical difficulty of a strictly laparoscopic procedure.

From December 2004 to May 2005 we performed hand assisted laparoscopic donor nephrectomy in 13 female and seven male patients. The median age was 37 years. As immunosuppressant drug, we consistently used tacrolimus, mycophenolate mofetil, methylprednisolone and a monoclonal antibody. The median surgical time was 138 min (range 113-180), and the median warm ischemic time was 87 s (range 63-150). These results are comparable to the surgical and warm ischemic times for open donor nephrectomy. The hospitalization period of the donors was between 5 and 7 days. Renal function and acute-phase parameters showed a transient increase during and after the operation. Most of the patients reached the baseline levels at day 3 and 4, respectively. Together with the clinical data, these findings verify the minimal invasiveness of laparoscopic donor nephrectomy. In the future, this surgical method will probably be the procedure of choice.

Background: Revision of failed gastric restrictive procedures to proximal Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGBP) is the standard for many bariatric surgeons. Where the patient is not a suitable candidate or simply refuses gastric bypass, an alternative is herewith proposed. Methods: 3 patients had undergone a gastric banding as the original operation and 1 patient had had a vertical banded gastroplasty (VBG). 1 patient presented with Insufficient weight loss, 1 with regain of weight and 2 with complaints of food intolerance and vomiting. The gastric bands were removed by hand-assisted laparoscopy (HALS), with conversion to a VBG. In the patient with stomal stenosis after a VBG, HALS interposition of PTFE was performed to enlarge the collar. Results: In 2 patients, further weight reduction was achieved. In the other 2 patients, relief of symptoms was achieved. There were no complications during or after the revisional surgery. Conclusion: HALS conversion of a gastric banding to a VBG, or PTFE interposition In the case of stomal stenosis after a VBG, can be a valuable alternative for patients unsuitable for or refusing proximal RYGBP.

Despite recent progress in trials with laparoscopic hepatectomy, it is still necessary to develop safe and stable techniques. We have performed laparoscopic hepatic resection for 30 patients with liver tumors to date. We have recently been applying a hand-assisted laparoscopic surgical technique for greater safety.In the present study, we report techniques using a hand-assisted laparoscopic anatomical left-lateral segmentectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma with liver cirrhosis.Direct feeling with the surgeon's hand makes possible a procedure that is almost identical to open surgery in which there is better visualization of the surgical field and transected margin, and immediate hemostasis is also achieved by manually depressing the bleeding point.With this method, laparoscopic anatomical hepatectomy can be performed more safely for patients with cirrhosis than by the fully laparoscopic method, although a larger incision is necessary.

Background: Laparoscopic low anterior resection for rectal cancer has never gained wide acceptance among general surgeons, mainly due to the technical difficulties encountered during pelvic dissection. It has therefore been stated that these patients should undergo open rather than laparoscopic surgery. Hand-assisted laparoscopic surgery (HALS) is a new technique that has the potential to overcome many of the existing limitations of pure laparoscopy. In the treatment of rectal cancer, HALS could reproduce an operative setting similar to that of the open approach. Methods: To assess the technical feasibility of hand-assisted laparoscopic low anterior resection for rectal cancer and evaluate potential benefits and drawbacks of this new procedure, a pilot study was conducted at a university hospital on 16 consecutive patients during a 12-month period. Only patients with extraperitoneal rectal cancer were included in this series. Patients' clinical data, operative time, conversion rate, complications, and early outcome measures were prospectively examined. Results: There were 9 men and 7 women. The average ± SD operation time was 238 ± 38 min. Conversion to open surgery was never required. Ten of 16 patients were off pain medication on the third postoperative day. Eight were able to walk the day after surgery. Three minor postoperative complications were recorded. Mean postoperative stay for patients without complications was 5.6 ± 1.4 days. Conclusion: From a technical standpoint, the reported hand-assisted procedure makes pelvic dissection during laparoscopic low anterior resection almost equivalent to the laparotomic operation. The incision for hand access that is needed with this technique does not seem to compromise the quick recovery of patients undergoing purely laparoscopic procedures.

Minimally invasive hand-port-assisted laparoscopic vertical banded gastroplasty has the potential to reduce postoperative complications after bariatric surgery.We analyzed the postoperative course of 46 hand-port-assisted laparoscopic vertical banded gastroplasties (LVBG) completed between January 1998 and April 1999.The operating time for the LVBG was shorter (140.8 +/- 6.0 vs 180.2 +/- 6.3 min; p0.05). Individuals were able to ambulate sooner (1.36 +/- 0.09 vs 2.44 +/- 0.16 days; p0.05), and start oral intake earlier (2.7 +/- 0.27 vs 3.7 +/- 0.17 days; p0.05) than the open vertical banded gastroplasty (VBG) controls. Three staple line leaks were detected in this group. Two leaks resolved without clinical sequelae, but one patient developed intraabdominal sepsis. This complication extended the average hospital stay to 6.8 +/- 2.00 days, as compared to 7.71 +/- 0.18 days for historical controls. By discounting this patient from the analysis, we arrive at a more representative length of hospitalization of 4.82 +/- 0.34 days (p0.05).LVBG offers a good alternative to the standard open VBG. Although this procedure has a relatively short learning curve, it should be done at centers with an interest in bariatric surgery.

Solitary splenic metastasis is an extremely rare phenomenon for which splenectomy is generally indicated because a good prognosis can be achieved if chemotherapy is given postoperatively. We report herein a case of solitary splenic metastasis from ovarian cancer, which was completely removed by hand-assisted laparoscopic surgery.

We analyzed the safety and feasibility of a hand-assisted laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy (HALDP) in pigs. We performed HALDP in five cases using our original hand device (Lap Disc). The procedures in all cases were successfully performed. The Lap Disc was very useful for performing HALDP because of its compact design and simple usage. This preliminary experience suggests that this device could be used to perform HALDP as well as other procedures in humans.

Contains fulltext : 88436.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Open Access) BACKGROUND: Transplantation is the only treatment offering long-term benefit to patients with chronic kidney failure. Live donor nephrectomy is performed on healthy individuals who do not receive direct therapeutic benefit of the procedure themselves. In order to guarantee the donor's safety, it is important to optimise the surgical approach. Recently we demonstrated the benefit of laparoscopic nephrectomy experienced by the donor. However, this method is characterised by higher in hospital costs, longer operating times and it requires a well-trained surgeon. The hand-assisted retroperitoneoscopic technique may be an alternative to a complete laparoscopic, transperitoneal approach. The peritoneum remains intact and the risk of visceral injuries is reduced. Hand-assistance results in a faster procedure and a significantly reduced operating time. The feasibility of this method has been demonstrated recently, but as to date there are no data available advocating the use of one technique above the other. METHODS/DESIGN: The HARP-trial is a multi-centre randomised controlled, single-blind trial. The study compares the hand-assisted retroperitoneoscopic approach with standard laparoscopic donor nephrectomy. The objective is to determine the best approach for live donor nephrectomy to optimise donor's safety and comfort while reducing donation related costs. DISCUSSION: This study will contribute to the evidence on any benefits of hand-assisted retroperitoneoscopic versus standard laparoscopic donor nephrectomy. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Dutch Trial Register NTR1433.

In clinical situations where more than one procedure is required, a properly positioned hand-assist device can be used to obviate the need for two large incisions. We present four cases of hand-assisted laparoscopic nephrectomy combined with a simultaneous second organ extraction. Each of the four primary procedures, as well as one of the four secondary procedures, was performed using a hand-assisted laparoscopic technique. In two cases, the secondary procedure was performed with an open surgical technique through the hand-assist incision. For the remaining secondary procedure, we used a laparoscopically assisted technique.

Splenic hydatidosis is a rare condition. We performed a hand-assisted laparoscopic splenectomy for a large hydatid cyst localized in the center of the spleen. We discuss the advantages of the ``helping hand.''