Laparoscopic single-site surgery for placement of an adjustable gastric band: initial experience

Laparoendoscopic single-site (LESS) surgery for cholecystectomy and appendectomy are described in the literature. The benefits of these procedures compared with traditional laparoscopic approaches have yet to be determined. To date, no series of LESS surgeries for placement of an adjustable gastric band has been published or documented. This study aimed to determine the safety and feasibility of LESS surgery for placement of an adjustable gastric band.

From December 2007 to June 2008, LESS surgery to place an adjustable gastric band via a transumbilical incision was performed for 10 patients with institutional review board approval. Essentially, multiple ports were placed through a single incision in the umbilicus to allow for liver retraction, visualization, and working instruments. All critical steps using a standard pars flaccida technique were performed without alteration.

For this study, 10 patients (9 women and 1 man) were carefully selected. These patients ranged in age from 32 to 61 years (mean, 47 years) and had a mean body mass index (BMI) of 42 kg/m² (range, 35–45 kg/m²). The patients were selected for absence of both hepatomegaly and central obesity. Superobese patients were not considered for inclusion in the study. The mean operative time was 1 h and 10 min (range, 53 min to 1 h and 48 min). All the patients were discharged home within 23 h of admission, and no perioperative complications were noted. In addition, no wound-related complications occurred. Notably, only 2 of the 10 patients required the use of narcotic analgesia after discharge from the recovery room. There were no intra- or postoperative complications.

In our experience, LESS surgery for adjustable gastric banding shows this technique to be both feasible and safe for selected patients. Although technical limitations exist that will be improved upon, further studies are needed to compare LESS surgery for placement of an adjustable gastric band with traditional laparoscopic techniques.