Effectiveness of Cleaning the Laparoscopic Lens With a Novel Microfiber Cloth During Laparoscopic Colorectal Cancer Surgery: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial

Introduction: In this randomized controlled trial, we compared the effectiveness of Toraysee for ES (Toray, Tokyo, Japan), a microfiber cleaning cloth composed of ultrafine polyester fibers, with that of a conventional lens-cleaning method during laparoscopic colorectal surgery. Methods: Patients scheduled for laparoscopic colorectal surgery were randomly allocated to a microfiber cleaning cloth or a conventional lens-cleaning arm. The primary outcome was the mean time spent on each occasion of lens cleaning. Visual quality was evaluated objectively by using visual analyzing software. Results: Sixty patients consented to participation in this study, and the data of 55 patients were analyzed. The mean time spent on each occasion of lens cleaning was significantly shorter in the microfiber cloth group than in the control group (16.12 ± 4.63 vs. 21.04 ± 4.83, p < 0.01). Despite the shorter cleaning time, the median difference in clarity score between before and after each cleaning occasion did not differ significantly between the groups (0.164 vs. 0.135, p = 0.276). Conclusions: Toraysee microfiber cleaning cloths are easy and time efficient lens-cleaning devices while achieving a visual quality equivalent compared to a conventional cleaning method.