Lehigh Regional Medical Center (Single Site Surgery)

By Joshua Lee Jr., M.D. –

Advances in medicine have given us many benefits. When it comes to surgery, one of the greatest advancements has been the use of laparoscopic surgery.

Due to the smaller incisions compared to open surgeries, laparoscopic surgery offers less pain, faster recovery time, and better cosmetic results. Single Port Laparoscopy, sometimes referred to as Single Site Surgery, takes these benefits one-step further by allowing surgeons to operate exclusively through one entry point. The single entry point used is generally the umbilicus (belly button). While traditional laparoscopic surgery limits scarring to several small locations for the patient, Single Site Surgery leaves patients with only an “invisible scar”.

This form of surgery can be used for many procedures; including:
•    Herniorrhaphy: Hernia Repairs
•    Appendectomy: Removal of Appendix
•    Cholecystectomy: Removal of Gallbladder
•    Nephrectomy: Removal of a Kidney
•    Hysterectomy: Removal of the Uterus
•    Colectomy: Resection of any part of Large Intestine
•    Adjustable Gastric Banding: Slow consumption of food
•    Sleeve Gastrostomy: Weight-loss procedure

To understand Single Site Surgery, you must first understand Laparoscopy in general. Laparoscopy uses a thin, lighted tube that is inserted through an incision. This is usually done to do a biopsy, a tubal ligation, check for tumors in the belly, check whether cancer has spread to the belly, check for damage to internal organs, take out tumors and organs, and more (Healthwise, 2012). As stated earlier, Single Site Surgery achieves these same results with only one incision.

Dr. Joshua Lee, a general surgeon at Lehigh Regional states, “Advantages of single-port procedures extend beyond the purely cosmetic. Patients benefit from less postoperative pain, reduced blood loss, faster recovery time, and fewer postoperative complications.”

If you have any questions regarding any of the surgeries listed above, you may contact Dr. Lee via Lehigh Regional Medical Center at (239) 368-0241.