Camera trocar lifting in office gasless laparoscopic sterilization under local anesthesia

We evaluated 35 cases of a mechanical approach to abdominal wall lifting, used in office-based gasless laparoscopic sterilization under local anesthesia. Lifting of the abdominal wall, using the camera trocar as an anchoring device and complemented by suprapubic lifting by means of a towel clamp, led to passive intra-abdominal air filling, giving sufficient space to identify, anesthetize, coagulate and cut the Fallopian tubes. Only mild sedation was necessary. All women walked to and from the operating room. All had successful tubal ligation. The overall satisfaction rate was 97%. The mechanical lifting moment was not painful. With the exception of one woman with failed tubal anesthesia, all women had a low mean pain score of 2.6 (VAS 0-10). No complications occurred except one wound infection. The costs were < or = 1/4 of those of traditional laparoscopic sterilization and office hysteroscopic sterilization. This approach is effective for office-based laparoscopic sterilization. Room air, two strings and a needle replace active gas insufflation and narcosis.