Single incision laparoscopic surgery

As a complement to standard laparoscopic surgery and a safe alternative to natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery, single incision laparoscopic surgery is gaining popularity. There are expensive ports, disposable hand instruments and flexible endoscopes that have been suggested to do this surgery and would increase the cost of operation. For a simple surgery like laparoscopic cholecystectomy, these extras are not needed and the surgery can be performed using standard ports, instruments and telescopes. Triangular port insertion and use of instruments by the "chop stick method" are recommended to successfully do the procedure as we have done in our so far small series of 40 cases. (C) 2010 Baishideng. All rights reserved.