A comparison between single-incision and conventional laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Background: Single-incision laparoscopic surgery is becoming a more widely accepted surgical approach. However, the feasibility and safety of single-incision laparoscopic cholecystectomy (SILC) are yet to be established. The present study compared outcomes following the use of SILC or conventional laparoscopic cholecystectomy (CLC) on patients with gallbladder disease. Subjects and Methods: The study involved 190 symptomatic gallbladder disease patients treated between March 2009 and February 2011. Ninety-six patients underwent SILC, and 94 patients underwent CLC. Clinical and surgical outcomes were compared. Results: The SILC and CLC groups were similar in terms of age, gender ratio, body mass index, and diagnoses. The two groups were also found to be similar in terms of postoperative clinical course and complications. The SILC group had a longer operation time, less postoperative pain, and a shorter hospital stay than the CLC group (P < .05 for all variables). Conclusions: SILC using the OCTO port system (Darim Corp., Korea) was as safe and feasible as CLC. Additionally, SILC is less invasive and more comfortable for patients than CLC.