title: Analysis of laparoscopic port site complications: A descriptive study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The rate of port site complications following conventional laparoscopic surgery is about 21 per 100,000 cases. It has shown a proportional rise with increase in the size of the port site incision and trocar. Although rare, complications that occur at the port site include infection, bleeding, and port site hernia.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the morbidity associated with ports at the site of their insertion in laparoscopic surgery and to identify risk factors for complications.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective descriptive study.
  
  
  METHODS
  In the present descriptive study, a total of 570 patients who underwent laparoscopic surgeries for various ailments between August 2009 and July 2011 at our institute were observed for port site complications prospectively and the complications were reviewed.
  
  
  METHODS
  Descriptive statistical analysis was carried out in the present study. The statistical software, namely, SPSS 15.0 was used for the analysis of the data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 570 patients undergoing laparoscopic surgery, 17 (3%) had developed complications specifically related to the port site during a minimum follow-up of three months; port site infection (PSI) was the most frequent (n = 10, 1.8%), followed by port site bleeding (n = 4, 0.7%), omentum-related complications (n = 2; 0.35%), and port site metastasis (n = 1, 0.175%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Laparoscopic surgeries are associated with minimal port site complications. Complications are related to the increased number of ports. Umbilical port involvement is the commonest. Most complications are manageable with minimal morbidity, and can be further minimized with meticulous surgical technique during entry and exit.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal University, Mangalore, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Somu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Karthik
authors.forename: Alfred Joseph
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Augustine
authors.forename: Mundunadackal Madhavan
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Shibumon
authors.forename: Manohar Varadaraya
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Pai
keywords: Complication; laparoscopy; port site bleed; port site hernia; port site infection; ports