Use of Stone Forceps for Liver Retraction in Laparoscopic Bariatric Surgery

Background: Laparoscopic bariatric surgery requires retraction of the left lobe of the liver for exposure 
of the hiatus and the stomach. The most common used methods are using the retractors that require 
another incisions and prolonged operative time. Objectives: A prospective assessment of the efficacy and 
safety of a percutaneous stone forceps without trocar for liver retraction in patients undergoing 
laparoscopic bariatric surgery. Methods: A prospective review was performed on 120 patients 
undergoing bariatric surgery from January2019 to January 2020 in Alhayat national hospital in Saudi 
Arabia gazan. A percutaneous stone forceps was used to retract the left lobe of the liver in all cases. The 
retractor can be changed as necessary by releasing and catching the diaphragm at different sites. Results: 
This technique was used in 120 patients from January2019 until january 2020. The average body mass 
index was 45 .In all patients, this method was found to be good and easy to complete the bariatric surgery. 
The majority of procedures included laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy. No 
intraoperative liver injuries occurred with use of this technique. Conclusion: this method of retraction of 
the liver using the stone forceps grasper found to be safe in the morbidly obese patients. The rate of 
complications is low. This method is safe and effective in retraction of liver with less trauma than 
conventional technique.