Impact of laparoscopic lens contamination in operation theatre a study on the frequency and duration of lens contamination and commonly utilized to maintain clear vision.

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the frequency and duration of laparoscopic lens contamination in the operation theatre and assess the effectiveness of commonly used techniques to maintain clear vision. Study Design: Observational study. Setting: Department of Surgical, Ittefaq Hospital, Lahore. Period: August 2023 to January 2024. Methods: A total of 83 laparoscopic procedures were analyzed using a non-probability purposive sampling technique. Data were collected on lens contamination events, time wasted due to impaired vision, and cleaning methods, including antifog solution, warm saline, and organ tapping. Descriptive statistics and comparative analysis were performed using SPSS version 25. Results: The study found that an average of 7.92% of operative time was spent cleaning the lens, with 4.11 contamination events per procedure. Warm saline resulted in fewer contamination events (mean: 3.93) compared to antifog solution (4.96) and organ tapping (4.81), though differences were not statistically significant (p = 0.609). The percentage of time wasted on cleaning was highest with antifog solution (13.30%) and lowest with organ tapping (9.86%), approaching statistical significance (p = 0.051). Conclusion: Laparoscopic lens contamination significantly disrupts surgical efficiency, necessitating frequent cleaning. While no technique showed a statistically significant advantage, warm saline demonstrated a trend toward better clarity maintenance. Further research on advanced cleaning systems is needed to optimize laparoscopic workflow.