What is single-port surgery?
Surgeons perform single-port surgery through a single port — or incision — in your belly button (navel) or abdomen. The location of the incision may vary depending on the surgical procedure. Single-port surgery is a form of minimally invasive surgery. You might hear the term single-port SP surgery.
First used clinically in September 2018, single-port robotic surgery is now widely used in many medical centers worldwide for various procedures. Surgeons in a variety of specialties conduct single-port surgery, including urology, and ear, nose and throat. This innovation continues to provide excellent results, with more rapid recovery and increased patient satisfaction.
What’s the difference between surgical approaches?
There are different approaches to surgery. Your surgeon selects the one that’s best for you based on their experience, your reason for needing surgery and your overall health.
Open surgery:
In open surgery, your surgeon creates a large incision. This approach involves more cutting of your tissues.
Minimally invasive surgery
In a minimally invasive surgery (MIS), your surgeon makes a smaller incision. This approach is associated with faster recovery and less pain. Laparoscopic surgery and robotic surgery are both minimally invasive approaches.
In traditional laparoscopic or robotic surgery, the surgeon makes three to five small incisions. The surgical team uses these ports as they insert instruments to perform the surgery. For example, they might use laparoscopic surgery to remove your kidney if needed.
In single-port robotic surgery, the surgeon makes only ONE small cut. They then connect a single-port robot to the port and perform the entire procedure through this opening.
What procedures are possible using the single-port approach?
Surgeons have used the single-port approach for many different types of procedures involving different organ systems, including:
- Kidney surgeries. These include kidney removal (nephrectomy), donor nephrectomy, kidney transplantation and surgery to repair a blockage between your kidney and your ureter (pyeloplasty).
- Prostate surgeries, including prostatectomy.
- Cystectomy, which removes your bladder.
- Urinary tract reconstruction.
