Routine single-port sleeve gastrectomy: a study of 60 consecutive patients

Single-port surgery has been developed for many digestive procedures, such as cholecystectomy and colectomy. Our objective was to present our preliminary results for laparoscopic single-port sleeve gastrectomy (SPSG), performed in our department for the treatment of morbid obesity, at Antoine Beclere Hospital and Paris XI University.

From July 2010 to February 2011, all patients evaluated by our multidisciplinary team for morbid obesity and eligible for sleeve gastrectomy underwent SPSG. The data were collected prospectively.

Sixty consecutive patients underwent SPSG. The median age was 40.1 years; 6 patients were men and 48 were white. The median body mass index was 46.5 kg/m(2). The co-morbidities included diabetes in 12, essential hypertension in 31, sleep apnea in 39, dyslipidemia in 33, and coronary artery disease in 9. Of the 60 patients, 9 had previously undergone laparotomy and 5 had undergone bariatric surgery. The median operating time was 86 minutes. All procedures were achieved laparoscopically, with 10 patients requiring a second trocar and 3 patients 2 additional trocars. No conversion to open surgery was required. One leak was reported, and 1 patient experienced cubital nerve compression. The median hospital stay was 4 days. During a median follow-up of 8 months, most preoperative co-morbidities resolved, and the Bariatric Analysis and Reporting Outcome System score for care efficacy was 6.8 of 9.

SPSG is feasible in routine bariatric surgery. The results for weight loss and co-morbidity resolution seem to be equivalent to those with "multiple port" laparoscopy. New instruments and specific training are required. We believe that this technique is a natural evolution of minimally invasive surgery requiring additional investigation in prospective studies.