Laparoscopic, Robotic, and Laparoendoscopic Single-Site (LESS) Surgery: Applications in Female Urology and Urogynecology

REVIEW ARTICLE

Michael S Ingber¹ and Courtenay K Moore²

Affiliations: ¹Department of Urology and Urogynecology, Saint Clare’s Hospital, Denville, NJ, USA and ²Glickman Urological and Kidney Institute, Cleveland Clinic,
Cleveland, OH, USA

ABSTRACT

Traditional pelvic reconstructive and incontinence surgery required large abdominal incisions and carried significant morbidity for the patient. The introduction of laparoscopy and robotic-assisted laparoscopic surgery provided patients the option to have the same long-term outcomes with much smaller incisions and a significantly shorter recovery. Surgical technology has further evolved, and we are now offering patients laparoendoscopic single-site (LESS) surgery, which can be performed through a single incision, often through a natural orifice such as the umbilicus. This manuscript reviews the available literature on these minimally invasive techniques and how they have been applied in the field of female urology and urogynecology.

Keywords: laparoscopy, robotics, pelvic organ prolapse, incontinence, stress, surgical procedures, minimally invasive

Correspondence: Michael Ingber, Morris Urology Associates, 16 Pocono Rd, Suite 205, Denville, NJ 07834, USA. Tel: +1 (973) 627-0060; Fax: +1 (973) 627-6821; email: ingbermd@aol.com