A
trocar (variant of
trochar; from
French troquard, an alteration of
trois-quarts meaning
three-quarters, from
trois meaning
three +
quart meaning
quarter; first recorded in the
Dictionnaire des Arts et des Sciences, 1694, by
Thomas Corneille, younger brother of
Pierre Corneille) is a
medical device that is made up of an (which may be a metal or plastic sharpened or non-bladed tip), a
cannula (basically a hollow tube), and a seal. Trocars are placed through the abdomen during
laparoscopic surgery. The trocar functions as a portal for the subsequent placement of other instruments, such as graspers, scissors, staplers, etc.