Removing a Gall Bladder Through Small Surgical Incision

A surgical team at Eisenhower Medical Center recently removed a gallbladder through one tiny incision in the belly button using a new method that made the procedure virtually without causing a scar, hospital officials said.

On June 10 the team led by Bobby Bhasker-Rao, MD performed da Vinci Single-Site cholecystectomy, according to a news release by the Eisenhower Medical Center. The minimally invasive procedure is traditionally called a laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Below is a description of the procedure provided by the hospital.

Using robotic assistance, surgeons removed the gallbladder through an incision of approximately one inch. da Vinci is a robotic surgical system widely used in complex minimally invasive surgery.

Neither robotic surgery nor single-incision surgery is new, but combining the two to remove the gallbladder requires additional training and special equipment. Dr. Bhasker-Rao is one of a small group of surgeons in the country who has received training to perform the surgery.

Unlike traditional robotic surgeries requiring three to five small incisions, this new technology allows for a single incision in the belly button where instruments are placed and the diseased gallbladder is removed.

According to the American College of Surgeons, surgery is the recommended treatment for gallbladder pain from gallstones and non-functioning gallbladders. More than one million people in the United States have their gallbladder removed each year. Most are performed with traditional laparoscopy using several incisions.

Potential benefits of Single-Site gallbladder surgery may include virtually scarless results, minimal pain, low blood loss, fast recovery, a short hospital stay and high patient satisfaction. The surgery can be performed in about one hour with a typical hospital stay of less than 24 hours.

Eisenhower Medical Center offers various types of robotic-assisted surgeries. In addition to gallbladder removal, Eisenhower surgeons perform robotic-assisted surgery in bariatrics, gynecology, prostate, general surgery, kidney and colorectal surgeries. Eisenhower also offers a wide range of minimally invasive conventional laparoscopic surgeries.