Concerns among Japanese Women Regarding Scarring from Transumbilical Single-Port Gynecologic Laparoscopic Surgery

Abstract

Study ObjectiveUse of single-port laparoscopic surgery has spread rapidly in procedures such as cholecystectomy, appendectomy, and gynecological surgery. Single-port laparoscopic surgery in the umbilical region has cosmetic advantages over conventional laparoscopy, such as the wound being concealed in the umbilicus. A questionnaire survey was carried out to investigate the opinions of relatively young potential gynecological patients about surgical wounds in gynecological laparoscopic surgery including single-port approach.DesignA questionnaire survey.SettingHamamatsu University hospital.PatientsNo patients were involved in this study.InterventionAn anonymous questionnaire on laparoscopic operative scars was given to 375 women, including medical practitioners (n = 299) and non-medical practitioners (n = 76). The subjects were instructed to assume that they were to undergo gynecologic surgery, and were then asked to indicate their preference for skin incision from a cosmetic viewpoint. The choices were single-port laparoscopic surgery, minilaparotomy above the pubis, and conventional laparoscopy, with the assumption that there was no difference in the safety of the surgery.Measurements and Main ResultsA large proportion of subjects preferred minilaparotomy to single-port laparoscopic surgery (289 (79%) vs. 77 (21%), p<0.05), and conventional laparoscopy to single-port laparoscopic surgery (232 (64%) vs. 131 (36%), p<0.05). Reasons for reluctance regarding single-port laparoscopic surgery included a desire to avoid modification of the umbilicus and anxiety about incision in the umbilical region.ConclusionAlthough single-port approach conceals the wound in the umbilicus, considerable numbers of Japanease women may hesitate to have the incision there. Study ObjectiveUse of single-port laparoscopic surgery has spread rapidly in procedures such as cholecystectomy, appendectomy, and gynecological surgery. Single-port laparoscopic surgery in the umbilical region has cosmetic advantages over conventional laparoscopy, such as the wound being concealed in the umbilicus. A questionnaire survey was carried out to investigate the opinions of relatively young potential gynecological patients about surgical wounds in gynecological laparoscopic surgery including single-port approach. Use of single-port laparoscopic surgery has spread rapidly in procedures such as cholecystectomy, appendectomy, and gynecological surgery. Single-port laparoscopic surgery in the umbilical region has cosmetic advantages over conventional laparoscopy, such as the wound being concealed in the umbilicus. A questionnaire survey was carried out to investigate the opinions of relatively young potential gynecological patients about surgical wounds in gynecological laparoscopic surgery including single-port approach. DesignA questionnaire survey. A questionnaire survey. SettingHamamatsu University hospital. Hamamatsu University hospital. PatientsNo patients were involved in this study. No patients were involved in this study. InterventionAn anonymous questionnaire on laparoscopic operative scars was given to 375 women, including medical practitioners (n = 299) and non-medical practitioners (n = 76). The subjects were instructed to assume that they were to undergo gynecologic surgery, and were then asked to indicate their preference for skin incision from a cosmetic viewpoint. The choices were single-port laparoscopic surgery, minilaparotomy above the pubis, and conventional laparoscopy, with the assumption that there was no difference in the safety of the surgery. An anonymous questionnaire on laparoscopic operative scars was given to 375 women, including medical practitioners (n = 299) and non-medical practitioners (n = 76). The subjects were instructed to assume that they were to undergo gynecologic surgery, and were then asked to indicate their preference for skin incision from a cosmetic viewpoint. The choices were single-port laparoscopic surgery, minilaparotomy above the pubis, and conventional laparoscopy, with the assumption that there was no difference in the safety of the surgery. Measurements and Main ResultsA large proportion of subjects preferred minilaparotomy to single-port laparoscopic surgery (289 (79%) vs. 77 (21%), p<0.05), and conventional laparoscopy to single-port laparoscopic surgery (232 (64%) vs. 131 (36%), p<0.05). Reasons for reluctance regarding single-port laparoscopic surgery included a desire to avoid modification of the umbilicus and anxiety about incision in the umbilical region. A large proportion of subjects preferred minilaparotomy to single-port laparoscopic surgery (289 (79%) vs. 77 (21%), p<0.05), and conventional laparoscopy to single-port laparoscopic surgery (232 (64%) vs. 131 (36%), p<0.05). Reasons for reluctance regarding single-port laparoscopic surgery included a desire to avoid modification of the umbilicus and anxiety about incision in the umbilical region. ConclusionAlthough single-port approach conceals the wound in the umbilicus, considerable numbers of Japanease women may hesitate to have the incision there. Although single-port approach conceals the wound in the umbilicus, considerable numbers of Japanease women may hesitate to have the incision there.