ABSTRACT
With sigmoid colon resections, the patient is positioned in stirrups. Care is taken to adequately pad the legs in the stirrups to prevent neuropraxia. The patient is placed in the Trendelenburg position, and the operating table is rolled so that the patient’s left side is elevated. Some surgeons advocate a full lateral position with the use of beanbag support. Pneumoperitoneum is obtained with 5 mm working trocars placed in the left upper quadrant, left lower quadrant, and right lower quadrant (Figure 1). Since the extended incision of the left lower quadrant port is often the site for specimen extraction, this port can be 10 mm in size. A 10 mm camera port is placed below the umbilicus. A 30° laparoscope enables maximum viewing.
