Single-incision laparoscopic right colectomy: an efficient technique.

PURPOSE

Laparoscopic right colectomy has an established patient benefit. We sought to demonstrate that a single-incision approach to laparoscopic right colectomy is safe, reproducible, and efficient.

METHODS

Photographs were acquired from cases to depict a step-by-step approach. We collected operative, pathologic, and postoperative outcomes from 8 patients who underwent a single-incision laparoscopic right colectomy.

RESULTS

There were no intraoperative complications nor deaths and 3 complications postoperatively. The average return of bowel function and length of stay was 3 and 5 days, respectively. Pathologic assessment revealed negative margins and an average of 17 lymph nodes harvested from the specimens.

CONCLUSIONS

Single-incision laparoscopic right colectomy is an evolving technique and likely to supplant conventional laparoscopic colectomy because of its equivalent and reproducible outcomes and the ease of the procedure. We depict our preferred method and review the current literature of single-incision right colectomy.