Single port laparoscopic liver surgery: A minireview.

Area of Science:

• Minimally invasive surgery
• Hepatopancreatobiliary surgery
• Surgical oncology

Background:

• The trend towards "scarless" incisions favors techniques like single-port laparoscopic surgery (SPLS).
• SPLS offers cosmetic advantages with minimal invasiveness, typically using a single umbilical entry point.
• Interest in scarless liver resections lags behind other surgical fields due to surgeon reluctance and technical challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the literature on single-port laparoscopic liver resections (SPL-LR).
• To describe the history, indications, contraindications, and ideal patient profiles for SPL-LR.
• To evaluate the technical difficulties, advantages, disadvantages, and oncological concerns associated with SPL-LR.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of published studies on single-port laparoscopic liver resections.
• Analysis of historical development, clinical applications, and surgical outcomes.
• Examination of surgeon-reported challenges and patient selection criteria.

Main Results:

• SPL-LR adoption is slower than other scarless surgeries due to limited exposure and surgeon apprehension.
• Concerns exist regarding oncological outcomes for SPL-LR in cases of hepatocellular carcinoma and metastatic colorectal cancer.
• Technical challenges and the learning curve for instruments in narrow incisions are significant hurdles.

Conclusions:

• SPL-LR presents unique challenges, particularly regarding oncological safety and technical execution.
• Further research and standardized techniques are necessary to overcome current limitations.
• The future of SPL-LR depends on addressing concerns about oncological outcomes and improving surgical proficiency.