[Single port access surgery in colorectal disease: preliminary results].

INTRODUCTION The aim of this study is to evaluate the single port access technique in colorectal disease, as regards its suitability to oncological criteria, reliability, safety and reproducibility of the technique. A descriptive and prospective case study is performed describing the preliminary results of our series. MATERIAL AND METHODS We present a series of 24 patients with colorectal disease who underwent single port access surgery using a Gel point® device between June and December 2010. The operations performed were, 9 right hemicolectomies, 9 sigmoid resections, 4 high anterior resections, 1 left hemicolectomy due to a tumour of the splenic flexure, and 1 sub-total colectomy. RESULTS The mean surgical time for the right colon was 82.8 minutes (range 40-170), 122.1 minutes (range 75-200) for the left colon and rectum, and 270 minutes for the sub-total colectomy. The median number of ganglia resected was 22 (range: 3-27) for the right colon and 21 (range: 11-28) left colon/rectum. The mean length of the surgical specimen was 20.37 cm (range: 16.2 - 27.5) for the right colon, and 24.92 cm (range: 14.5 - 31) for the left colon/rectum. The median overall hospital stay was 6 days (range: 5-13). Morbidity was 8.3% (2 patients); one with an occlusion due to adhesions, and another with a leak in the anastomosis. There were no deaths. CONCLUSIONS The single port access technique is safe and reproducible, maintaining oncological criteria, for surgeons accustomed to colorectal surgery by conventional laparoscopy. A larger number of cases would be required to standardise the technique.