Transumbilical single-incision laparoscopic cholecystectomy with conventional instruments and ports: the way forward?

The quest for scarless surgery continues, but the goal remains elusive. The logical top contender was natural orifice surgery, but unfortunately even today it remains in infancy. Minilaparoscopy also did not generate much interest. In this scenario, transumbilical single-incision laparoscopy surgery holds promise, especially as far as cosmetics is concerned, and may be the ultimate answer.

All the 240 patients were operated by the same surgeon through a transversely placed umbilical incision in the upper half of the umbilicus. Three conventional ports, 10, 5, and 5 mm, were introduced through the same skin incision but separate transfacial punctures. The instruments included 10- and 5-mm 30° rigid telescopes and rigid instruments as in standard laparoscopic cholecystectomy (SLC). Patients with acute cholecystitis and calculous pancreatitis were included, but those with choledocholithiasis were excluded. Results were compared with those with SLC.

Patients were predominately female, with an average age of 37.6 years. Ten patients had difficult gallbladders, 24 had acute cholecystitis, and 10 had calculous pancreatitis. The mean operating time was 25.8 minutes, compared with 18.4 minutes in SLC. Intracorporeal knotting was required in 2 patients. Conversion to SLC was required in 5 patients. Morrisons pouch drain was left in 1 patient. Injectable analgesic was required in 138 (57.5%) patients and infection was seen in 2 (0.8%) patients.

Transumbilical single-skin-incision laparoscopic cholecystectomy performed solely with conventional instruments is feasible, easy to learn, and probably the future of laparoscopic cholecystectomy.