OBJECTIVETo evaluate the safety and effectiveness of transumbilical single port laparoscopic cholecystectomy (TSPLC).

METHODSA retrospective analysis was conducted for the 141 patients, who received TSPLC by DR. Jian in our hospital since April 2011 to October 2012, and the operative and postoperative effects of these patients were evaluated by comparing with that of the conventional laparoscopic cholecystectomy (CLC).

RESULTSIn the total of 141 TSPLC cases that included in the study, 3 cases converted to CLC. 2 cases converted to open cholecystectomy. Additionally, 1 case was diagnosed as an unexplained bowel perforation after operation, fat liquefaction occurred in 2 patients. When comparing with these cases to 306 CLC patients, there was no obvious statistical difference in the terms of patients age, gender, BMI and abdominal surgery history (P>0.05). Meanwhile, There were similar effects of the two groups of patients on the operation time (28.5∓19.3 min vs 33.4∓14.2 min, P=0.001), estimate blood loss (6.4∓18.9 ml vs 9.8∓20.6 ml, P=0.06), the time needed for closing abdomen (5.1∓3.8 min vs 5.8∓4.3 min, P=0.06) and postoperative complications (3/141 vs 5/306, P=1.00). However, the TSPLC group was superior to CLC group in the terms of the conversion rate (2/141 vs 25/306,P=0.001), and postoperative hospitalization (1.2∓1.4 d vs 2.6∓1.7 d,P<0.01), meanwhile, TSPLC was also superior to LC on the satisfactory degree of operative effect through the one week follow-up (8.5∓1.1 vs 7.9∓0.7, P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONSTSPLC is both safer and more effective than that of CLC, and thus it is worth adopting in selected hospitals.