Abstract: A trocar having an elongated shaft, and a puncturing head attached to a distal end of the shaft. The puncturing head can have three blades with sharpened cutting edges embedded in the puncturing head. An endoscope can be positioned in a bore of the shaft to collect light from the distal end of the shaft. A video monitor is connected to the endoscope for displaying an image of the path of advancement of the trocar.

Abstract: A trocar has an elongated shaft, and a puncturing head is attached to a distal end of the shaft. The puncturing head can have three blades with sharpened cutting edges. A pathway for light communication is established through three apertures in the puncturing head to a longitudinal bore within the shaft. An endoscope can be positioned in the bore to collect light from the distal end of the shaft. A video monitor is connected to the endoscope for displaying an image of the path of advancement of the trocar.

Abstract: A trocar has an elongated shaft, and a cutting element is attached to a distal end of the shaft. The cutting element can be a transparent puncturing head formed integrally with the shaft, and a distal portion of the puncturing head is configured as a regular triangular pyramid having three sharpened cutting edges. Alternatively, the cutting element can be three or four metal cutting blades which are attached to the distal end of the shaft. In either case, a pathway for light communication is established from the cutting element through the shaft, a portion of which is transparent. The shaft has a cavity, and a rigid endoscope is positioned in the cavity to collect light from the distal end of the shaft. A video monitor is connected to the endoscope for displaying an image of the path of advancement of the trocar.