Device and method for laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair

摘要

A laparoscopic surgical separating device (1) for creating a preperitoneal workspace, for use in preperitoneal laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair, comprising a relatively rigid longitudinal element (2), a longitudinal axis (5), an interior wall (6) defining a throughbore (7), an inflatable element (8) fixedly attached to a point (9) along the length of an outer wall (10) of element (2), fluid insufflation member (11), connected to inflatable element (8), and to throughbore (7), and sealing member (12) capable of preventing fluid from escaping from element (2), wherein inflatable element (8) is of generally asymmetrical shape, having, on one side of the axis (5), a relatively large portion (13) of inflatable material, and on the other side of the axis (5) in the same plane, a relatively small portion (15) of inflatable material, the portions (13, 15) corresponding to the space available in the body after insertion and inflation of the device (1) via an incision (16) made at the antero-superior iliac crest (17).