Laparoendoscopic Single Site Reconstructive Procedures in Urology: Medium Term Results

Systematic review and meta-analysis of the incidence of incisional hernia in urological surgery

PURPOSE

To evaluate the incidence of incisional hernia in patients undergoing direct access to the abdominal cavity in urological surgery.

METHODS

We conducted a systematic review in Pubmed, Embase, and Cochrane Central from 1980 to the present according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) statement. Eighty-four studies were selected for inclusion in this analysis, and meta-analysis and meta-regression were performed.

RESULTS

The total incidence in the 84 studies was 4.8% (95% CI 3.7% - 6.2%) I2 93.84%. Depending on the type of incision, it was higher in the open medial approach: 7.1% (95% CI 4.3%-11.8%) I2 92.45% and lower in laparoscopic surgery: 1.9% (95% CI 1%-3.4%) I2 71, 85% According to access, it was lower in retroperitoneal: 0.9% (95% CI 0.2%-4.8%) I2 76.96% and off-midline: 4.7% (95% CI 3.5%-6.4%) I2 91.59%. Regarding the location of the hernia, parastomal hernias were more frequent: 15.1% (95% CI 9.6% - 23%) I2 77.39%. Meta-regression shows a significant effect in reducing the proportion of hernias in open lateral, laparoscopic and hand-assisted compared to medial open access.

CONCLUSION

The present review finds the access through the midline and stomas as the ones with the highest incidence of incisional hernia. The use of the lateral approach or minimally invasive techniques is preferable. More prospective studies are warranted to obtain the real incidence of incisional hernias and evaluate the role of better techniques to close the abdomen.

Minimally invasive ileal ureter replacement: Comparative analysis of robot-assisted laparoscopic versus conventional laparoscopic surgery

BACKGROUND

This study is an initial comparative analysis of perioperative and intermediate-term functional outcomes between patients who underwent robot-assisted laparoscopic (RALS) or conventional laparoscopic surgery (LS).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 25 patients who underwent ileal ureter replacement (10 RALS and 15 LS) were followed by functional cine magnetic resonance urography (MRU) combined with a modified Whitaker test. Also, the characteristics, perioperative data and functional outcomes of the patients were compared.

RESULTS

The estimated blood loss, postoperative hospital stay and time to oral intake were significantly lower in the RALS group. At the median 14-month follow-up, all the patients showed improved renal function and were symptom-free, with no signs of leakage or stenosis observed by cine MRU combined with a modified Whitaker test.

CONCLUSIONS

RALS with an extracorporeal bowel resection is feasible and appears to be safe, with quick postoperative recovery and encouraging outcomes.

Laparoendoscopic single site surgery versus conventional laparoscopy for transperitoneal pyeloplasty: A systematic review and meta-analysis

We aimed to review studies comparing the outcomes of the laparoendoscopic single site (LESS) pyeloplasty with those of conventional laparoscopic pyeloplasty (CLP). A systematic review of the literature was performed according to the PRISMA (preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis) criteria. The methodological quality of the studies was rated according validated scales. The level of evidence (LE) was reported as described by the Oxford criteria. Preoperative demographic parameters and perioperative outcomes between the two surgical techniques were assessed. A meta-analysis of the included studies was performed. A total of 5 studies were elected for the analysis, including 164 cases, 70 (42.6%) of them being LESS and 94 (57.4%) being CLP. Four studies were observational retrospective comparative studies (LE: 3a-4); one was a prospective randomized controlled trial (LE: 2b). There was no significant difference in age, body mass index, gender, side and presence of the crossing vessel, between the groups. There was no significant difference regarding the operative time (weight mean difference [WMD]: −7.02; 95% confidence interval [CI]: −71.82–57.79; P = 0.83) and length of hospital stay (WMD: 0.04; 95% CI: −0.11–0.20; P = 0.58), whereas the estimated blood loss was statistically lower for LESS (WMD: −16.83; 95% CI: −31.79–−1.87; P = 0.03). The postoperative use of analgesic favored the LESS group but without reaching statistical significance (WMD: −7.52; 95% CI: −17.56–2.53; P = 0.14). In conclusion, LESS pyeloplasty offers comparable surgical and functional outcomes to CLP while providing the potential advantages of less blood loss and lower analgesic requirement. Thus, despite being more technically challenging, LESS pyeloplasty can be regarded as a minimally invasive approach for patients seeking fewer incisional scars.

Transumbilical laparoendoscopic single-site ureteral reimplantation

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the outcomes of umbilical laparoendoscopic single-site (LESS) ureteral reimplantation using a reusable single-port platform.

MATERIAL AND METHOD

The casuistic of LESS ureteral reimplantation in 5 patients is presented. The surgical technique using KeyPort system (reusable umbilical single-site platform) is described. Dissection, suctioning and suturing by minilaparoscopy through 3.5mm accessory port in the iliac fossa are performed. Operative and postoperative outcomes are presented. The median follow-up at time of analysis was 11 ± 14 months.

RESULTS

The median age of patients was a 49 ± 34 year; male-female ratio was 1:1.15. Left surgery was carried out in all cases. In 4 patients, the etiology was secondary to stenosis (3 iatrogenic and 1 pelvic endometriosis). In the remaining case, the procedure was performed after excision of a symptomatic adult ureterocele. In all cases, bladder catheter and double-J ureteral catheter were inserted for 7 ± 3 and 30 ± 15 days and then removed. No conversion to convectional laparoscopic or open surgery occurred. The surgery time was 145 ± 60 min, and intraoperative bleeding was 100 ± 75 cc. Neither transfusion nor high analgesia was necessary. No postoperative complications, minor or major, have been reported. Hospital stay was 2 ± 0.5 days. In any patient, restenosis or worsening of renal function occurred.

CONCLUSIONS

In experimented centers, transumbilical laparoendoscopic single-site ureteroneocystostomy is a safe alternative with comparable results to conventional laparoscopy and an excellent cosmetic result at low cost thanks to device reuse.

Laparoendoscopic single-site surgery in kidney surgery: clinical experience and future perspectives

Laparoscopic surgery of the upper urinary tract has reduced the morbidity related to large abdominal incisions and has resulted in significant advantages over open surgery. Nevertheless, the pursuit for even more minimally invasive alternatives to laparoscopy has led to the concept of scarless surgery and the approach of laparoendoscopic single-site surgery (LESS). LESS is currently a feasible approach for the majority of kidney surgical procedures, and there is intense debate regarding its efficiency and advantages. In the present review of the literature, the current status of upper urinary LESS and its advantages and disadvantages, as well the technological and technical evolution, are presented.

Retroperitoneal laparoendoscopic single-site ureterolithotomy and ureteroureterostomy for retrocaval ureter with ureteral calculus: first case report

A 53-year-old man presented with a 6-month history of intermittent right flank pain. Radiological imaging confirmed the diagnosis of retrocaval ureter (RCU) and ureteral calculus. Retroperitoneal laparoendoscopic single-site surgery (LESS) ureterolithotomy and ureteroureterostomy was successfully performed. The operative time was 185 min and the blood loss was approximately 20 ml. The patient's postoperative course was uneventful. Postoperative analgesia was not needed. The patient was discharged on the third postoperative day. The drain and double-J stent were respectively removed at 1 and 8 weeks postoperatively. At the 3-month follow-up, nuclear scan showed no evidence of obstruction of the right kidney and the patient also remained symptom free. It may be concluded that retroperitoneal LESS repair for RCU is a feasible and safe procedure, which can be considered as a option for the management of RCU even if it is complicated by the presence of a ureteral calculus.

Laparo-endoscopic single-site surgery: recent advances in urology

Significant advances have been achieved in the field of urologic laparo-endoscopic single-site surgery (LESS) since the first reported clinical series in 2007. The aim of the present review paper is to summarize and critically analyze the most recent advances in the field of urologic LESS. A literature review was performed using PubMed to retrieve publications related to LESS in urology over the last two years (from January 2011 to May 2012). In the free-text protocol, the following terms were applied: LESS; single port laparoscopy; single incision laparoscopy. Despite unsolved challenges, LESS can be regarded as an emerging trend in minimally invasive urologic surgery and it has significantly evolved, becoming a widely applicable technique in a relatively short time. Outcomes demonstrate that a broad range of procedures can be effectively and safely done, given a solid laparoscopic surgical background and stringent patient-selection criteria. The recent introduction of a purpose-built instrumentation is likely to further foster the application of robotics to LESS. Further improvements are needed before this technique might reach a widespread adoption. Future advances in the field of robotic technology are expected to overcome the current limitations of LESS.