Randomized Clinical Trial of Single-incision Versus Conventional Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy: Short-term Operative Outcomes

Background: Single-incision laparoscopic surgery may reduce the complications of port site and postoperative pain. The improved cosmetic result also may improve the satisfaction of patients who have undergone surgery. Methods: The study enrolled 108 patients who consecutively underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy by the same surgeons and randomly divided them into single-incision laparoscopic cholecystectomy (SILC) and conventional laparoscopic cholecystectomy (CLC) groups. Demographic data and short-term operative outcomes were collected and compared. Results: A total of 57 and 51 patients received SILC and CLC, respectively, from May to August 2010 at our institution. No significant difference was found with respect to demographic data including age, sex, and body mass index between the 2 groups. Similarly, short-term operative outcomes such as postoperative complications, length of stay, and visual analog pain score did not differ between the 2 groups. However, the incision of SILC (21.6 +/- 2.4) was shorter than that of CLC (30.8 +/- 2.6) (P=0.032). Conclusions: SILC seems to be a safe and feasible technique. It can be undertaken without the expense of added postoperative complication and operative time and provides patients with a minimal apparent scar.