Early experience with single incision laparoscopic surgery: eliminating the scar from abdominal operations.

PURPOSE: Single incision laproscopic surgery (SILS) involves performing abdominal operations with laparoscopic instruments placed through a single, small umbilical incision. The primary goal is to avoid visible scarring. This is the first report of SILS cholecystectomy in children and the first report in the literature of SILS splenectomy.

METHODS: A retrospective chart review was performed in 20 consecutive inpatient SILS procedures (13 males, 7 females; ages 2-17 years) from May to December 2008. Outcome measures included need for conversion, operative time, time to oral analgesia, length of hospitalization, cosmetic outcome, and complications.

RESULTS: There were 4 total splenectomies, 3 cholecystectomies, 2 combined splenectomy/cholecystectomies, and 11 appendectomies performed. All procedures were completed successfully without need for conversion to standard laparoscopy or open surgery. Mean operative time was 90 minutes for splenectomy, 68 minutes for cholecystectomy, 165 minutes for combined splenectomy/cholecystectomy, and 33 minutes for appendectomy. Mean hospital stay was 1 day for appendectomy, 1 day for cholecystectomy, and 2.5 days for splenectomy. One splenectomy patient received 1 U packed red blood cell transfusion. All appendectomy patients were converted to oral analgesia within 24 hours and splenectomy patients within 48 hours. All families were very pleased with the cosmetic outcome.

CONCLUSION: Single incision laparoscopic surgery is feasible for a variety of pediatric general surgical conditions, allowing for scarless abdominal operations. This early experience suggests that outcomes are comparable to standard laparoscopic surgery but with improved cosmesis, however, a larger series is necessary to confirm these findings and to determine if there are any benefits in pain or recovery. Surgeons performing SILS should have a firm foundation of advanced minimal access surgical skills and a cautious, gradated approach to attempting the various procedures. Technological refinements will further enable SILS.