Trocar

In its simplest form, a trocar is a pen-shaped instrument with a sharp triangular point at one end, typically used inside a hollow tube, known as a cannula or sleeve, to create an opening into the body through which the sleeve may be introduced, to provide an access port during surgery. Today, a very wide range of precision-engineered laparoscopic trocars exists, with instruments available in a variety of lengths and diameters, and with many different styles of tip. Most modern trocars comprise an outer housing assembly, a sleeve that fits inside the housing assembly and a piercing stylus which slots into the sleeve such that the tip protrudes from the lower end of the instrument.