A gall bladder removal surgery, also known as a cholecystectomy, is quite a commonly performed surgery which is carried out when people experience pain due to stones in their gallbladder. There is no medical treatment for gallbladder stones, these have to removed by surgery.
Traditionally, a gall bladder surgery is done with four cuts on the patient’s abdomen at most hospitals. However, at Sitaram Bhartia, surgery is performed, at a reasonable cost, only with a single small cut, a procedure known as a Single Incision Laparoscopic Surgery or SILS procedure.”
A Single Incision Laparoscopic Surgery, which is the latest addition to laparoscopic surgeries, is currently done by very few centres in India. In fact, very few medical centres around the world practice it.
Advantages of a SILS Cholecystectomy
Patients wonder why they would need to have a common surgery done by a specialized procedure. According to Dr. Kriplani, the benefits of the surgery speak for themselves. “Since a SILS is a minimally invasive procedure, it is inherently designed to reduce pain after the operation” he says. “Instead of four cuts, patients only receive one cut, which is hidden within the belly button. So the pain is only in one place and the size of the scar is also a lot smaller.”
The size of the scar is often a source of surprise for patients who are expecting to see a long scar on their skin. “After a SILS is done, patients cannot see the scar and wonder where the cut is” Dr. Kriplani tells us. “This is a particularly strong benefit, since most gallbladder removal surgeries are done for women. From a cosmetic point of view, it works very well in their favour.”
The Single Incision Laparoscopic Surgery is a safe procedure with a high success rate. “We’re here to help you feel at ease” says Dr. Kriplani. “We’ve done over a 1000 gall bladder removals with a 95% success rate. And most patients are able to go home within 24 hours of surgery”
If you have any further questions or concerns regarding the procedure, please let us know. We’ll be happy to answer them for you.