Gas Leaks Through Laparoscopic Energy Devices and Robotic Instrumentation‐Video Vignette

Dalli, Jeffrey; Faraz Khan, Mohammad; Nolan, Kevin; Cahill, Ronan A

The COVID‐19 pandemic has focused surgeons and healthcare systems on the aerosolization hazards of minimally invasive surgery and its devices. Energy and articulating laparoscopic and robotic instruments contain hollow spaces in their shafts and handles to allow cabling transmit electrical energy to the instrument tip and tissue. While much attention has been placed on the management of smoke that occurs during cautery by instrument activation, it may be less obvious that such instruments may act as chimney flues for intraperitoneal gas to flow unfiltered directly into the operating room environment. This gas will contain smoke but also simply the carbon dioxide (CO(2)) used to distend the abdominal cavity and any associated aerosolised cells and virions.