FDA clears SurgiQuest's "breakthrough" laparoscopy kit

The US FDA has granted 510(k) clearance for SurgiQuest's 5mm AnchorPort trocars for use during single incision laparoscopic surgery. Trocars are round pens with a pointed end that are used to introduce ports for minimally-invasive surgery. The Orange, Connecticut company claims it is the world's first and only trocar with an elastic, stretchable cannula system – this adjusts to the patient's abdominal wall thickness, its distal tip anchoring the device in place within the abdominal wall and giving surgeons more freedom of movement. Conventional fixed-length trocars are rigid and protrude into the abdominal cavity, which can interfere with other surgical instruments, limiting manoeuvrability, SurgiQuest says. The AnchorPort device also has a softer outer skin so causes less trauma to tissue, the firm added.