Robotic-Assisted Single-Port Laparoscopic Hysterectomy

The recent phenomenon of laparo-endoscopic single-site surgery (LESS) opened a new way to perform minimally invasive gynaecological surgery presenting a number of advantages over traditional laparoscopic surgery. However, LESS is challenging due to the lack of port triangulation, two dimensional view, poor ergonomic position for the surgeon and a steep learning curve overall for suturing. To potentially overcome these challenges, single-site robotic surgical platforms have been developed recently. Robotic surgical platforms may shorten the minimally invasive learning curve for select surgeons compared with traditional laparoscopy. A single-site robotic platform may also help to overcome some of the technical limitations of LESS (learning curve, instrument crowding, lack of triangulation, and loss of depth of perception/instability with current 2-dimensional flexible optics). Furthermore, the introduction of the da Vinci robotic system to single-site surgery, will further diminish the impediments that limit this minimally invasive technique.