Utilization of Exhausted Disposable Clip Applier as a Reusable Endoclip: Cost Efficiency

This letter is being written to discuss the reuse of a disposable clip applier in an operating room environment. By 1990, laparoscopic procedures were being widely performed in surgery, and several laparoscopic devices have been manufactured, either disposable or reusable. Although the companies and Food and Drug Administration regulations do not recommend use of the disposable devices more than once, several disposable instruments have been used repeatedly after sterilization, especially in developing countries, in order to reduce the high cost. We have reused several disposable instruments in our department for laparoscopic surgery such as graspers, dissectors, and scissors, either after sterilization with ethylene oxide or after disinfection with glutaraldehyde. The efficacy of disinfection of laparoscopic instruments with glutaraldehyde solution has been shown in several studies.