Transumbilical laparoendoscopic single-site surgery in urology.

ABSTRACT

Laparoendoscopic single-site surgery has seen a dramatic rise in the urological community. With the advent of new techniques and instrumentation, laparoendoscopic single-site surgery has become more accessible for a wide variety of applications. The majority have been carried out through a transumbilical incision in order to effectively hide the scar within the umbilicus. Here, we review the history and clinical applications for transumbilical laparoendoscopic single-site surgery within urology. The current scope is broad, and great strides have been made, but the overall benefit appears to be predominantly cosmetic. Diffusion of laparoendoscopic single-site surgery techniques from tertiary referral centers to the community urologist remains unknown. This review demonstrates the feasibility of transumbilical laparoendoscopic single-site surgery as shown in the urological literature.