Laparoscopic surgical risk could be cut

NEW YORK, March 17 (UPI) -- The risk of accidents from laparoscopic surgery could be reduced with the use of fault-detection devices, some U.S. medical experts say.

However, medical experts say fewer than 25 percent of the nation's hospitals have made such investments because many surgeons, hospitals and major equipment vendors do not recognize the extent of the hazard, The New York Times reported Friday.

Safety advocates say the risk of burns from the wand-like electrical tool used to cut tissue and seal blood vessels in the abdomen could be virtually eliminated by using wands with monitoring systems that shut them down instantly if power is leaking.

"It wouldn't surprise me in the least if it caused more than 100 deaths and 10,000 injuries annually," said Dr. Alan Johns, a Fort Worth, Texas, gynecologist, who teaches courses on the complications of laparoscopy.

Precise data has been difficult to collect because the physical evidence of the initial burn caused by stray electricity is often destroyed in the effort to save patients when infections occur.