Laparoendoscopic single-site surgery in gynecology

Abstract

To review the contemporary literature on laparoendoscopic single-site surgery (LESS) advances in gynecology. Minimally invasive surgery has become a standard of care for the treatment of many benign and malignant gynecologic conditions. Both conventional laparoscopy and robotic assisted surgery have impacted the entire spectrum of gynecologic surgery. Ongoing efforts to improve upon the morbidity and cosmetic sequelae of laparoscopic surgery have led to minimization of size and number of ports required for these procedures. LESS surgery is a recently coined surgical term used to describe various techniques that aim at performing laparoscopic surgery through a single, small skin incision concealed within the umbilicus.LESS surgery is not a new endeavor but recent developments in surgical technology and techniques have resulted in an exponential increase in utilization of LESS across many surgical subspecialties. Recently published outcome data demonstrate feasibility, safety and reproducibility for LESS in gynecology. The contemporary LESS literature, gamut of gynecologic procedures and limitations of current technology will be reviewed in this article. LESS represents the latest innovation in minimally invasive surgery but comparative data and prospective trials are required to determine the clinical impact of LESS in treatment of gynecologic conditions.