Single-port laparoscopy

It is a minimally invasive surgical procedure in which the surgeon operates almost exclusively through a single entry point, typically the patient's navel.

There are a number of different access ports, including GelPOINT system from Applied Medical, the SILS device from Covidien, the TriPort+, TriPort15 and QuadPort+ a from Advanced Surgical Concepts and the Uni-X from Pnavel.

One recent study suggests future uptake relies strongly on the availability of evidence, training, instrumentation and reduced costs.

[5] The SPL technique has been used to perform many types of surgery, including adjustable gastric banding,[6] appendectomy,[7] cholecystectomy,[8][9] colectomy,[10] hernia repair,[11] hysterectomy,[12] sleeve gastrectomy,[13] nephrectomy,[14][15] and sacrocolpopexy.

The instrument's channel allows for a fixed curved infundibular grasper to be added; this helps replicate the methodology currently being practised in traditional four-port laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Potential complications include significant postoperative pain, injury to organs, bleeding, infection, incisional hernia, intestinal adhesions and scarring.