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By Margaret Bailey


Advancements in technology are leading to the invention of better and new approaches to surgical procedures in all fields of medicine. Single incision laparoscopic surgery, often abbreviated as SILS also goes by several other names. Some of those names include Single-port laparoscopy (SPL), single-port incisionlless conventional equipment-using surgery, single-port access surgery (SPA), and Single-access endoscopic surgery. Additional names are natural-orifice trannsumbilical surgery (NOTUS), laparo-endoscopic singular-site surgery (LESS), and one-port umbilical surgery (OPUS).

SILS is a technique in laparoscopic surgery that is still relatively new owing to its recent development. It is classified as a minimally invasive surgical operation because most of the process is done through one entry point. In most cases, the navel serves as the entry point into interior of the patient. Thus, because only one entry point is used, only a single tiny scar is left behind after the process has been completed.

Entry points are either 11mm or 22 mm incisions. One incision is utilized to minimize scarring and pain felt during and after the process. The use of one incision is opposed to the traditional laparoscopic procedure that uses multiple entry points. There are some of the most highly qualified specialists in SILS in New York. Therefore, it is quite advisable to consider visiting the city when in search of specialists in this process.

There are two categories of specialized surgical equipment used by SILS. The two broad categories are hand instruments and access ports instruments. Access ports instruments are of various types including the GelPOINT system, QuadPort+, TriPort15, Uni-X, SILS device, and TriPort+. The manufacturers of these instruments are different.

Conversely, three major configurations of hand instruments exist today. They are pre-bent rigid, standard, and articulating configurations. The development of standard hand tools has been happening for more than the previous 30 years. Rigid design is used in making them. SPL reduced triangulation instrument challenge has been solved through the invetion of articulation hand instruments.

The choice of whether or not to use articulating or standard instruments usually lies with the surgeons. There are a few factors that influence the decision. Among these influential factors are access port used, cost, and surgical skills of a surgeon. Articulating instruments are very costly when compared to standard instruments. This procedure is made safer and more effective by the use of specialized instruments.

The degree of awareness of SILS among surgeons is very high. However, the performance of SILS is limited to a few surgeons owing to its high level of complexity, limited space of access, and the use of specialized instruments. Surgical doctors who perform the procedure have to be highly skills and trained in surgical processes. That has promoted negative perception from the public and limited indulgence in the process.

A wide variety of surgeries makes use of SILS. Common examples comprise of sleeve gastrectomy, colectomy, adjustable gastric banding, appendectomy, nephrectomy, sacrocolpopexy, and hysterectomy among others. In European nations and the US, standard instruments are in wide usage when compared to specialized ones used in many other countries out of these two regions.




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