Comparison of laparoscopic and retroperitoneoscopic approaches to the great vessels in a porcine model

SummaryConventional laparoscopy has not yet been widely adopted for procedures involving the retroperitoneal organs, due to the problems of adequate bowel retraction and the poor access afforded by the position of the root of the mesentery. Developments in retroperitoneal laparoscopy facilitated by balloon dissection have afforded a new minimally invasive approach to the retroperito-neum. We have compared retroperitoneoscopic and laparoscopic approaches to the great vessels in a porcine model.