Miniature Hysteroscope for Minimally Invasive Surgery

The endoscope will also enable an optical Veress needle approach to be used in infants and pediatric patients, as well as in difficult cases where prior surgery has left adhesions that make standard laparoscopic entry dangerous. The endoscope is the product of Karl Storz Endoscopy (Tuttlingen, Germany), which says it features brighter images with superior sharpness and better light transmission. Pioneering the development of the hysteroscope was Dr. Stefano Bettocchi of Bari (Italy), who recently introduced a new hysteroscopic technique employing slender 2 mm telescopes in conjunction with a 4 mm continuous flow sheath and standard 5 Fr instruments.

The company notes that both diagnostic and operative hysteroscopy can be performed with Hopkins, often as an office procedure without the need for local anesthesia or, possibly, even without a localized cervical block. The system may facilitate the development of new, more cost-effective procedures, such as a laparoscopic approach to diagnosing fertility and perhaps endometriosis.

"The new 4 mm sheath is designed to allow easier entry with minimal radial stretching of the cervical canal,” said Cr. Bettocchi. "Patients and physicians will now find that there is much less discomfort associated with standard hysteroscopy.”




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