Abstract:

Historically, balloons have been used in surgery for a variety of applications. Over the past decades, balloons have been used by surgeons for retaining means (Foley catheter), extraction and occlusion (Fogarty catheter), tamponade (Sengstaken-Blakemore tube) as well as other uses such as dilation and calibration. The pioneering efforts of Gauer and Kieturakis have broadened the use of balloons for a new surgical application - dissection. An important feature of balloon dissection is that it allows the surgeon to create a new operative working space in which a surgical procedure can be performed. Currently, a particularly useful working space is the region immediately outside the peritoneum, frequently termed the extraperitoneal space. A variety of procedures can be performed laparoscopically in the extraperitoneal space such as herniorrhaphy, bladder neck suspension, lymph node dissection, and varicocelectomy.

Authors:

Thomas J. Fogarty, M.D., Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, J. Stephen Scott, M.D., De Paul Hospital, St Louis, Mo, George Hermann, B.S.M.E., Fogarty Research, Portola Valley, CA

For Direct IP Access please click this link