A Review Of Single Incision Laparoscopic Surgery

By Edward Thomas


Surgery has evolved in a great way in the last few decades. Unlike in the past, when the main objective was to restore functionality, cosmesis appear to carry a lot of significance these days. In Ne York city for example, patients are increasingly requesting for smaller incisions so as to reduce the sizes of scars. This is perhaps what gave rise to laparoscopic surgery and most recently, single incision laparoscopic surgery. In this article we explore what exactly this operation is and what its benefits and downsides are.

Laparoscopic operations have traditionally required three entry ports made in the anterior abdominal wall to facilitate the entry of the laparoscope and the instruments. For single incision surgery, only one of these ports is required for both the laparoscope and the instruments. For this reason, the operation is also known as single port access surgery (SPA) or single port Laparoscopy (SPL).

This operating technique is used for many different conditions. These include, among others, gall bladder removal, appendectomy, hernia repair, pelvic operations such as the removal of the ovary and the uterus. This list is set to increase even further as many surgeons make the switch to the new approach.

There are a number of advantages that are associated with this procedure. One of them is the fact that recovery is faster and many patients can resume their routine duties in a few days. It is also cosmetically superior to the other methods due to the fact that only one incision is used. The main disadvantage is that it is a little more expensive than the other methods due to the high level of specialization needed.

There is significant technical challenge is the surgeon is not experienced enough with the technique. Challenges mainly arise from the difficulty of maneuvering the instruments in the same opening. The crowding caused by these instruments makes it difficult to the field clearly. Taking this into account, the risk of intraoperative injury is actually higher in less experienced hands as compared to other methods.

The technique is a bit difficult to execute in persons that are very obese. The same challenges may be encountered in persons who have an organ that is massively enlarged or those that have undergone other abdominal surgeries in the past. At times, it is not possible to complete the operation using the single incision. Whenever that happens more ports are created or a conventional (longer) incision made.

Just as is the case with any surgical operation, risks exist. Bleeding and infections are the most common but their incidence is a lot lower than what is seen with other techniques. Incisional hernias, a common complications of open operations, is a very rare occurrence.

Single incision surgery is fast becoming one of the most popular techniques among patients and surgeons. This is mainly due to its minimal invasive nature that results in better cosmetic results. The risks involved are also reduced markedly. The fields of gynecology and pediatrics appear to be on the forefront in embracing this specialized procedure.




About the Author:



Powered by Blogger.