Back in the day, gallbladder surgery was exclusively performed with the open technique. Not only did that type of operation take a bigger toll on the patient’s body, it also left the patient more susceptible to certain surgical risks, like excessive blood loss or infection. Over the years we’ve developed new techniques to reduce the size of the surgical incision site and to minimize the risks exposed to the patient. This new type of operation is called a minimally invasive or laparoscopic surgery.
Dr. Koeplin is well-versed in both the open and minimally-invasive options for removing or operating on a gallbladder, but it appears a new, even less invasive technique may be on the horizon.
New Gallbladder Surgery
According to medical reports, a surgical team at UC San Diego Health has completed the first of a series of operations using a surgical system that can remove a problemed gallbladder through a tiny incision hidden inside the patient’s belly button.
The operation was performed by a team of doctors led by Dr. Santiago Horgan, professor of surgery and director of the Center for the Future of Surgery at the UC San Diego School of Medicine. According to Dr. Horgan, his team was able to remove the patient’s diseased gallbladder through a 15-millimeter incision. The operation is believed to be the smallest reported successful incision for gallbladder removal.
“What we are seeing is the rapid evolution of traditional laparoscopy toward less and smaller incisions – just one tiny incision, in fact,” said Dr. Horgan. “Normally, a gallbladder removal would be performed with four incisions across the abdomen. We achieved the surgery with one small cut hidden in the umbilicus. So not only are there fewer incisions, the one that remains is incredibly small.”
Minimally Invasive Operation Benefits
As we alluded to above, the operation has the potential to be a gamechanger in how gallbladder surgery is performed. If perfected, here are some potential benefits of the smaller gallbladder operation:
- Less risks during surgery
- Better operative outcomes
- Fewer incision site complications
- Better postoperative outcomes and decreased patient pain
- Reduced chance of hernia
- Less visible surgical scar
The first-of-its-kind operation was performed swiftly and with relative ease. Dr. Horgan said the procedure was completed in 30 minutes with the use of general anesthesia, and the patient was able to return home the same day without any complications.
Considering the fact that approximately 600,000 people have their gallbladder surgically removed each year, this technique could soon be making its way to an operating room near you. Unfortunately, the operation relies on the assistance of a new surgical system known as the Fortimedix FMX 314, which only gained approval from the FDA in August, so the spread of this technique relies on how quickly these systems can be manufactured, and whether or not certain hospitals can afford them.
