title: Patient perception of single-incision laparoscopic cholecystectomy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Single-incision laparoscopic cholecystectomy (SILC) is gradually being adopted into general surgical practice. The potential risks and benefits are still being studied, and little is known about how patients perceive this new surgical technique.
  
  
  METHODS
  After providing patients with basic educational materials on laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) and SILC, we administered a questionnaire exploring patients' perspectives of the importance of postoperative pain, scar appearance, risk of complications, and cost regarding their preference for SILC versus LC.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among 100 patients (mean age, 43.3 years), the majority were women (85%), white (85%), college educated (77%), and privately insured (85%). Indications included biliary dyskinesia (43%), biliary colic (48%), and acute cholecystitis (9%). Patients stated that they would be somewhat or very interested in SILC if recommended by their surgeon (89%), although 35% were somewhat or very concerned about the lack of long-term results. The majority would accept no additional risk to undergo SILC. Scar appearance was somewhat or very important to <40% of patients, whereas pain was somewhat or very important to 79%. Only 27% of patients would spend >$100 to undergo SILC. When asked to rank pain, appearance, symptom resolution, personal cost, and risk of complications, 52% ranked symptom resolution, 20% ranked pain, and 19% ranked risk of complications as most important.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Safety and relief of symptoms are most important to patients with gallbladder disease, whereas postprocedural esthetics was relatively unimportant and few would be willing to pay more for SILC versus LC. However, if the surgeon recommends SILC, most patients would trust this recommendation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City, MO, USA; Saint Luke's Hospital of Kansas City, Kansas City, MO, USA; Bothwell Regional Hospital, 601 E 14th St, Sedalia, MO 65301, USA. sjoseph@brhc.org.
authors.forename: Sigi P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Joseph
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City, MO, USA. Saint Luke's Hospital of Kansas City, Kansas City, MO, USA.
authors.forename: B Todd
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.affiliation: Saint Luke's Hospital of Kansas City, Kansas City, MO, USA.
authors.forename: Geoffrey
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Slayden
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City, MO, USA. Saint Luke's Hospital of Kansas City, Kansas City, MO, USA.
authors.forename: George B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Sorensen
authors.affiliation: Saint Luke's Hospital of Kansas City, Kansas City, MO, USA.
authors.forename: Conrad
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Boettger
authors.affiliation: Saint Luke's Hospital of Kansas City, Kansas City, MO, USA.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Potter
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City, MO, USA. Saint Luke's Hospital of Kansas City, Kansas City, MO, USA.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Margolin
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City, MO, USA. Saint Luke's Hospital of Kansas City, Kansas City, MO, USA.
authors.forename: Kimberly
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Brown
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017081:Cholecystectomy, Laparoscopic / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005705:Gallbladder Diseases; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires