Authors: L M Oms J M Badia
Publish Date: 2003/09/10
Volume: 17, Issue: 11, Pages: 1859-1861
Abstract
Since laparoscopic cholecystectomy has become the standard procedure for the treatment of gallstone disease several cases have been reported in patients with situs inversus These cases require more technically demanding procedures due to the symmetrical disposition of the anatomy Thus handedness could influence the performance of these operations The two of us LMO and JMB a righthanded and a lefthanded surgeon respectively placed the instruments in reverse mode from that used in orthotopic patients The righthanded surgeon felt more impairment when dissecting with his left hand and decided to cross the instruments within the abdomen The lefthanded surgeon was able to alternate the performance of the dissection maneuvers between the right and left hands Surgical procedures are apparently designed for righthanded surgeons and can be approached by the lefthanded in alternative ways In fact the accommodation of laparoscopic cholecystectomy to lefthandedness has been described in the literature The rare opportunity to operate in a symmetrical way allows the righthanded surgeon to understand the absence of comfort and ergonomy often experienced by lefthanded colleagues
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