Background: We aimed to compare the direct trocar insertion (DTI) and Veress needle insertion (VNI) techniques in laparoscopic bariatric surgery.
Materials and Methods: Eighty-one patients scheduled for bariatric surgery at Inonu University, Malatya, Turkey, were included in this study. In 39 patients, a bladed retractable nonoptical trocar was used for DTI, and VNI was performed in 42 patients. Intraoperative access-related parameters were compared. Data were analyzed with Student's t and chi-squared tests. A P value of <.05 was considered significant.
Results: Both groups had comparable demographic profiles. Laparoscopic entry time was shorter in the DTI group (79.6 +/- 94.6 versus 217.6 +/- 111.0 seconds; P < .0001). Successful entry rates in the first attempt, CO2 consumptions, failed attempt rates, and overall intraoperative complication rates were similar. However, in the DTI group, 2 patients had mesenteric injuries, and 1 of them required conversion to open surgery due to the mesenteric hemorrhage.
Conclusions: DTI in obese patients significantly shortens the entry time, but there can be severe complications with DTI when a nonoptical bladed trocar is used blindly. Actually, neither method can be recommended for entry into the abdomen in this population based on our results. If the surgeon has to choose a nonoptical trocar in bariatric surgery, preference for the VNI technique instead of the DTI technique is safer.