Evaluation of Commercially Available Port Access Devices for Single-incision Laparoscopy

Background: Laparoendoscopic single-site surgery has created a need for new technologies to simplify and expedite these procedures. We evaluated 3 different commercially available single-incision laparoscopic port access devices for their ease of use. Methods: Four laparoscopic surgeons performed multiple laparoscopic procedures through a single fascial incision in a porcine model. Three different commercially available access devices were used and evaluated for performance on a 5-point Likert scale. Results: All procedures were successfully completed. Tissue dissection and retraction were challenging because of instrument crowding and lack of triangulation. Two of the tested devices included trocars in the design, maximum trocar size of 12mm versus 15mm. Quoted cost for the devices varied widely with the sleeve device at the lower end and the disk shaped at the higher end. Conclusions: All tested devices allowed the performance of the attempted procedures. Challenges continue to exist and continued improvement in design is necessary.