No abstract

The results from the current series show single-port laparoscopic cholecystectomy to be a promising technique. A variety of patient demographics appear suited to this approach. The operative time in this series compares favorably with that for the standard four-port operation. The feasibility of single-port laparoscopic cholecystectomy is now established. However, routine application of this novel technique requires an evaluation of its safety and cost effectiveness in larger studies. In addition, its superiority over standard laparoscopic cholecystectomy in terms of postoperative pain, cosmesis, and overall patient satisfaction requires further study. Refinements in instrumentation will enable wider use of this novel minimally invasive approach.

Single port access surgery may be the next generation of minimally invasive surgery. This study reports a recent experience with the TriPort system (trademark pending, Advanced Surgical Concepts, Wicklow, Ireland) to perform a laparoscopic cholecystectomy via a single peri-umbilical incision. To the authors' knowledge, this is one of the first cases of single port laparoscopic cholecystectomy ever performed with this device in the United States. Randomized studies to compare single port laparoscopic cholecystectomy with traditional laparoscopic cholecystectomy, with specific regard to postoperative pain scores, would be helpful in determining how much additional benefit, if any, there is to the patient.