Commonly used surgical positions in urology

  The primary purpose of surgical position is to increase surgical exposure to facilitate the operator’s operation and reduce various complications caused by poor intraoperative exposure; it is also important to consider the patient’s comfort and the effect of position on important functions such as heart and lung. Genitourinary organs such as kidney, bladder, prostate, etc. are deep and located in retroperitoneal position, so the correct surgical position is very important to reveal the surgical field and reduce the difficulty of surgery.  Trendelenburg position is more books referred to as T position, head low foot high position, in fact, Trendelenburg position is not only head low foot high, the important thing is head low foot high (about 15-20 degrees) after tilting 30-40 degrees to one side, using the left and right side of the operating bed tilt to achieve the purpose of patient tilt to one side, because the operation may The tilt direction may be changed. It is important to have a very good fixation with a shoulder block to prevent the patient from sliding and having an accident. The advantage of this position is that by tilting the intestine in the abdomen away from the surgical area, it is not possible to apply intestinal pads to push open the intestine as in open surgery, so it is more practical during laparoscopic surgery (e.g. laparoscopic bilateral pelvic lymph node dissection surgery). The disadvantage is that it affects the patient’s pulmonary ventilation and increases the return blood flow, requiring the anesthesiologist to pay more attention to the patient’s airway and hemodynamic management, and is used with caution in patients with poor cardiopulmonary function.  The 60-degree lateral position is used for transabdominal laparoscopic renal or adrenal surgery, where the bowel naturally drops away from the affected side, allowing better intraoperative visualization of the lesion and eliminating the need for additional access to retract the bowel.  Lateral position This is the position commonly used for renal and adrenal surgery, with several details. First, the lower third of the lumbar bridge is facing the navel, so that the lumbar region is stretched as far as possible and the gap between the rib cage and the iliac crest is maximized. In laparoscopic retroperitoneal surgery, it is not necessary to raise the lumbar bridge to the highest level, and it is sufficient to have proper tension between the rib margin and the iliac crest so that the kidney is not too close to the lateral abdominal wall muscles and the laparoscopic operation is easier. Secondly, during open surgery, the patient leans slightly forward to separate the dorsal side of the kidney easier and better reveal the renal hilum from the dorsal side. Third, do not completely lower the lumbar bridge when suturing the incision, it is easier to reveal the muscle with a slight elevation of the lumbar region and does not increase the muscle tension.  Flat supine position The affected side is elevated during transabdominal kidney and adrenal surgery so that the lesion is close to the anterior abdominal wall. By elevating the hips and even dropping the head and lower limbs slightly, the pelvis can be widened and the prostate and bladder superficial.  Bladder truncation position The position applied for transurethral electrodesiccation. A leg brace or sling should be applied to make the thighs abducted and flexed and the calves flexed, noting that there should be no tension in the leg muscles to make them naturally abducted and flexed, which can reduce intraoperative closed nerve reflexes and postoperative discomfort. The patient’s hips are slightly over the edge of the bed, which is conducive to intraoperative electrosurgical downward pressure, observation or electrosurgery of the 12-point bladder neck and anterior bladder wall lesions. Longer surgical time should pay attention to the formation of venous thrombosis, the routine application of elastic bandages or elastic stockings abroad, domestic attention is not enough, appropriate leg muscle compression can be performed after surgery.  The position of inguinal lymph node dissection is lying flat, with the hip abducted and the thigh externally rotated, the two heels facing each other, and the pillow under the knee, revealing the femoral triangle.