Single Port Surgeries Now Performed at University Medical Center at...(in kidney donation operations and other ...),Health

The benefits for patients are substantial. Cosmetically, the single port approach is a major advance as it leaves the patient with virtually no visible scar. A single incision also means less post-operative pain and slightly reduced risk of infection than a recovery from multiple incisions.

Dr. Davison's experience confirms these benefits. He estimates that 75 percent of his single port patients are going home directly from the recovery room, where previously more than half would have been admitted for an overnight hospital stay. He also observed that patients are managing with less pain medication than patients who have had traditional laparoscopic surgery, and making a faster return to full activity.

Two specialized instruments helped make the single port technique a reality, said Dr. Davison. One is a device called the Triport, a multi-instrument access port made by the company Advanced Surgical Concepts. The second is a special laparoscope -- the camera instrument -- with a bendable tip that lets doctors see around corners.

Aside from these tools, the surgical technique for the single port approach is much the same as for traditional laparoscopic surgery, Dr. Davison said.

"I learned it very quickly. It was a natural step for me," he said.