Single Incision Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy Using a “Two-Port” Technique Is Safe and Feasible: Experience in 101 Consecutive Patients

Single incision laparoscopic cholecystectomy (SILC) is a new minimally-invasive technique that has recently been developed to address several disease processes of the gallbladder. However, the safety and feasibility of this technique are still being evaluated. Utilizing a “two-port” technique with transabdominal suture retraction and a rigorous adherence to the critical view of safety, we evaluated our experience in a prospectively maintained database and compared this with standard laparoscopic cholecystectomy (SLC) over the same period. SILC was completed successfully in 87 per cent of patients. Operative times were found to be similar between SLC and SILC (75 and 76 minutes, respectively; P = 0.12). Operative blood loss, hospital stay, and short-term complications were not statistically different between SILC and SLC. Cholangiograms, obtained on a selective basis, were performed in 19 per cent of SILCs. No bile duct injuries occurred during SILC or SLC. Although our aggregate number is not enough to accurately assess the rate or safety of bile duct injuries, SILC seems to be safe and feasible when evaluating other metrics and does not seem to interfere with operative efficiency compared with SLC.