By Edward Thomas


Surgery is one of the fields in medicine that continues to evolve very rapidly. The advances that have been made in the field have made it possible to perform major operations with very few complications. Apart from restoring of function in diseased organs, many patients care about the cosmetic appearance of their skin as much as they want to function normally again. This is the main reason as to why minimally invasive techniques such as single incision laparoscopic surgery are replacing open surgeries in New York city.

Laparoscopic surgeries use three to five openings that are much smaller than the incision used for open surgeries. In single incision surgery only one is required. General anesthesia is usually required just as is the case with many other operations. Other terms used to describe the technique include single port laparoscopy, SPL, and single port access surgery, SPA.

The technique is used for a wide range of conditions. These include gall bladder removal (cholesystectomy), removal of the appendix, repair of hernias and in pelvic surgeries such as the removal of the uterus and the ovary. As it continues to gain acceptance in the community of surgeons, this list is bound to increase even further.

There are a number of benefits that are associated with using this technique. One of them is the fact that the recovery time is shorter. Most of the people that have been operated on can return to work in a week. With only one incision, the cosmetic results are a lot better than with conventional laparoscopic operations. The main disadvantage on the patient is that they may have to pay a little more mainly due to the high level of specialization.

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.

This technique is not suitable for use in patients that are very obese, those that have a massively enlarged abdominal organ and those with a history of multiple operations. This is because of the difficulties that are associated with operating these groups of patients. In case, the operation cannot be completed successfully (as happens in 5 to 10% of cases). Additional ports can be created or even conversion to the open procedure in rare cases.

In spite of the huge success that is attributable to this type of operation, there are some risks that one should be aware of before signing up for it. Bleeding and infections are the most commonly encounter. However, fewer cases are seen as compared to those associated with open surgery and ordinary laparoscopic operations. Incisional hernias that are fairly common with the open technique are a rare occurrence.

Single incision surgery is a specialist procedure that continues to rise in popularity among surgeons and patients. Due to its minimal invasive nature, the risks that are usually associated with operations are markedly reduced. Gynecology and pediatrics are the two fields of medicine that have readily embraced the technique.




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