Retrieval of specimens in laparoscopy using reclosable zipper-type plastic bags: a simple, cheap, and useful method.

Surgical specimens must often be extracted during laparoscopic surgery. Although the technologic advances in this field are amazing, simple measures may sometimes work even better than very sophisticated instruments. This is true of the reclosable plastic bags with zipper-type closure that we use for retrieving surgical specimens from the abdominal cavity in order to protect it as well as the abdominal wall. The bags are cheap, offer no problems for sterilization, are easy to obtain, and are available in many sizes. They are very simple to handle, making it easy to slip in the specimen and then extract it from the abdominal cavity. We describe our experience with these bags and a technique for manipulating them.