title: Laparoscopic single-port sleeve gastrectomy for morbid obesity: preliminary series.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy has been recently proposed as a sole bariatric procedure because of the resulting considerable weight loss in morbidly obese patients. Traditionally, laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy requires 5-6 skin incisions to allow for placement of multiple trocars. With the introduction of single-incision laparoscopic surgery, multiple abdominal procedures have been performed using a sole umbilical incision, with good cosmetic outcomes. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the feasibility and safety of laparoscopic single incision sleeve gastrectomy for morbid obesity.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 8 consecutive patients underwent laparoscopic single-incision sleeve gastrectomy at the Operative Unit of Bariatric Surgery of the University of Rome Tor Vergata from March 2009 to June 2009.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 8 patients, 5 were women and 3 were men, with a mean age of 44.4 years. The mean preoperative body mass index was 56.2 kg/m(2). The mean operative time was 128 minutes. The mean postoperative stay was 2.4 days. The mean postoperative body mass index was 49.3 kg/m(2) at a mean follow-up period of 3.6 months. The mean percentage of excess weight loss was 33% for the same period.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Laparoscopic single-incision sleeve gastrectomy seems to be safe, technically feasible, and reproducible. A randomized trial comparing single-incision sleeve gastrectomy and conventional sleeve gastrectomy might be needed to evaluate the postoperative results in relation to the development of abdominal wall complications.
authors.affiliation: Bariatric Surgery Unit, Department of General Surgery, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gentileschi
authors.forename: Ida
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Camperchioli
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Benavoli
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Di Lorenzo
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sica
authors.forename: Achille L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Gaspari
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D005743:Gastrectomy / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009767:Obesity, Morbid / Q000601:surgery*; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000175:diagnosis; D016896:Treatment Outcome