The use of a Doppler probe for identifying the cystic artery during a laparoscopic cholecystectomy: a pilot study.

A prototype Doppler probe was used laparoscopically to identify the cystic artery in 30 consecutive patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy. This pilot study revealed that the probe provided valuable assistance in identifying the artery in 33.3% of the patients. In 10% of the patients, the Doppler identified the artery when standard dissection techniques failed to do so. The probe was particularly helpful in patients with acute cholecystitis.