Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy Combined Using Miniaturised Instruments in Transgastric Gall Bladder Removal: Performed on 63 Patients

Background. The laparoscopic cholecystectomy is a perfectly codified surgical procedure. The development of recent innovative and experimental surgical techniques Natural Orifice transluminal endoscopic surger (N.O.T.E.S.) which reduces the abdominal wall trauma leads us to develop a combined procedure of a standard dissection using miniaturised instruments already existing on the market (3 and 5 mm wide) and a gall bladder removal through a short gastrotomy Natural Orifice Specimen Extraction (N.O.S.E.). Methods. Our objective was to evaluate the safety, the feasibility, and the reproducibility of our new approach. After reviewing existing products on the market and a feasibility study, we put in place a protocol in our structure for patients on whom the procedure was performed. We carried out a gall bladder removal by a short gastrotomy, located on the anterior gastric wall, which then reduced the abdominal wall trauma and allowed them to resume normal physical activity quickly without risk of trocar site hernia. Results. We performed the procedure described in this paper on 63 patients, between April 2008 and July 2009. There were 14 men and 49 women with an average age of 46.8 years (ranging from 28 to 77) and an average BMI of 27.2. 30 patients had at least one gallstone larger than 10 mm. There was no postoperative gastric or abdominal wall complication and a fast recovery for all the patients in our study. Conclusions. This procedure is feasible, reproducible, with good results and minimal abdominal wall trauma. It is also safer than N.O.T.E.S. and endoscopic clipping and recovery, allowing normal physical activity, fast and, without risk of incisional hernia.