Initial experience of laparoendoscopic single-site radical prostatectomy with a novel purpose-built robotic system

Objective This prospective single-arm clinical trial aimed to evaluated the feasibility and safety of the application of the SHURUI system(Beijing Surgerii Technology Co.,Ltd.,Beijing,China),a novel purpose-built robotic system,in single-port robotic radical prostatectomy.Methods Sixteen patients diagnosed with prostate cancer were prospectively enrolled in and underwent robotic radical prostatectomy from October 2021 to August 2022 by the SHURUI single-port robotic surgical system.The demographic and baseline data,surgical,oncological,and functional outcomes as well as follow-up data were recorded.Results The mean operative time was 226.3(standard deviation[SD]52.0)min,and the mean console time was 183.4(SD 48.3)min,with the mean estimated blood loss of 116.3(SD 90.0)mL.The mean length of postoperative hospital stay was 4.50(SD 0.97)days.Two patients had postoperative complications(Clavien-Dindo Grade II),and both patients improved after conservative treatment.All patients’postoperative prostate-specific antigen levels decreased to below 0.2 ng/mL 1 month after discharge.The mean prostate-specific antigen level further decreased to a mean of 0.0219(SD 0.0641)ng/mL 6 months after surgery.Thirty days postoperatively,12 out of 16 patients reported using no more than one urinary pad per day,and all patients reported satisfactory urinary control without the need for pads 6 months after surgery.Conclusion The SHURUI system is safe and feasible in performing radical prostatectomy via both transperitoneal and extraperitoneal approaches.Tumor control and urinary continence were satisfying for patients enrolled in.The next phase involves conducting a large-scale,multicenter randomized controlled trial to thoroughly assess the effectiveness and safety of the new technology in a broader population.

A Comparison between Laparoendoscopic Single-Site and Conventional Laparoscopic Renal Stone Removal Surgery: A Study of Application in Two Cases

Aim: To present our initial experience of applying laparoendoscopic single-site surgery (LESS) nephrolithotomy in the treatment of renal calculi. Methods: In August 2010 and April 2012, the LESS nephrolithotomy technique was applied to treat two patients with a renal calculus. One patient had a calculus measuring 5 × 3 cm, and the second patient's measured 3 × 3 cm. Both patients underwent general anesthesia. The operations were performed through a retroperitoneal approach with a single-port instrument inserted through the retroperitoneal incision. The standard laparoscopic retroperitoneal technique was performed, and the calculi were removed by incising the area of the thin renal cortex and the renal pelvis, respectively. The operating time, estimated blood loss, intraoperative complications, other complications, drainage time, and post-operative hospital stay were recorded. Results: Both procedures were completed successfully. No additional trocars were added. No conversion to standard laparoscopic or open surgery was needed. The operating times were 130 min and 120 min, and the estimated blood losses were 40 mL and 30 mL. There were no intraoperative complications. The wound drainage times were 3 d and 2 d, respectively and the post-operative hospital stays were 8 d and 7 d, respectively. There was no secondary bleeding or wound infection. Follow-up times were 2 years and 3 months, respectively. No incidence of hydronephrosis was recorded. Conclusions: LESS nephrolithotomy is safe and feasible for treating kidney calculi. It can be applied in patients with large renal calculi and regionally thin renal parenchyma.

Laparoendoscopic single-site distal pancreatectomy in pigs

AIM:To explore the technique for laparoendoscopic single-site distal pancreatectomy.METHODS:Laparoendoscopic single-site spleenpreserving distal pancreatectomy was performed in pigs using a novel flexible multichannel port,a curved laparoscopic multifunctional operative device and a fish hook retractor,which provided a favorable operative field.RESULTS:Six pigs were involved in this study,and five survived the procedure.The first animal died following injury to the superior mesenteric vein and uncontrolledintraoperative bleeding.Except for this failure,the mean operative time was 155 min(range:102-236 min).A steep learning curve was observed in the study,with a mean operative time of 177 min in the first two operations vs 134 min in the last three operations.The mean blood loss was 50 mL,and the postoperative course was uneventful.The animals were sacrificed three weeks after the procedures,and no pancreatic leakage or abdominal infection was found macroscopically.CONCLUSION:Laparoendoscopic single-site distal pancreatectomy is a safe and feasible procedure and can be implemented in humans in selected cases at qualified surgical centers.

Laparoendoscopic Single-Site Combined Hysterectomy and Nephrectomy in Deep Infiltrating Endometriosis

Within the advance ports and instruments, laparoendoscopic single-site (LESS) surgery has been increasingly used among gynaecologic surgeons. In addition, advanced port systems have enabled to perform concomitant surgical procedures via transumbilical incision. However, combined surgical operations are rarely reported in the literature, particularly in gynaecology. This case report presents a 42-year-old woman who undergo concomitant LESS hysterectomy and nephrectomy due to deep infiltrating endometriosis (DIE) and end stage renal disease. The operation is performed in approximately 3 hours without any complications, and the patient is discharged on postoperative third day. This case demonstrates that complex concomitant operations even in a patient with DIE can be performed using a LESS surgical approach.

Single-site laparoscopic partial nephrectomy: Where are we going?

AIM:To review an evolution of laparoscopic surgery,there has been a growing interest in laparoendoscopic single-site surgery(LESS).METHODS:A comprehensive electronic literature search was conducted using PubM ed database to identify all publications relating to LESS-partial nephrectomy(PN).The research includes articles published from April 2008 to January 2014.We focused our attention only on articles in which were cited the single-site surgical technique(laparoscopic and robotic),tumour stage and grade,mean tumour size,intraoperative variables,blood loss and transfusion rate,length of postoperative stay and complication rates,Clavien classification,positive of surgical margins,pain assessment at discharge.RESULTS:A total of 9 studies were collected with 221patients included.The mean patients age was 62 years.The mean tumor size was 2.35 cm with a mean operative time of 181 min(range 111-270 min)and 58.3%were done by robot.The mean ischemia time was 23.6min.The 25.8%of patients underwent an unclamp LESS-PN.Mean estimated blood loss was 296 mL and median length of hospital stay was 4 d.The rate of severe post-operative complications(≥Clavien gradeⅢ)was 5.4%.Not all surgical series of LESS-PN or Robotic-LESS-PN shows conversion in Multiport Laparoscopic or Open Surgery.Regarding oncologic outcomes,surgical margins were positive 4%of patients(9/221),no distant or port-site metastases were recorded.CONCLUSION:LESS-PN and RLESS-PN are feasible and associated with reduced postoperative pain,shorter median hospital stay,shorter recovery time,and better cosmetic satisfaction without compromising surgical and oncological safety.

Single-incision laparoscopic surgery for biliary tract disease

Single-incision laparoscopic surgery(SILS), or laparoendoscopic single-site surgery, has been employed in various fields to minimize traumatic effects over the last two decades. Single-incision laparoscopic cholecystectomy(SILC) has been the most frequently studied SILS to date. Hundreds of studies on SILC have failed to present conclusive results. Most randomized controlled trials(RCTs) have been small in scale and have been conducted under ideal operative conditions. The role of SILC in complicated scenarios remains uncertain. As common bile duct exploration(CBDE) methods have been used for more than one hundred years, laparoscopic CBDE(LCBDE) has emerged as an effective, demanding, and infrequent technique employed during the laparoscopic era. Likewise, laparoscopic biliary-enteric anastomosis is difficult to carry out, with only a few studies have been published on the approach. The application of SILS to CBDE and biliary-enteric anastomosis is extremely rare, and such innovative procedures are only carried out by a number of specialized groups across the globe. Herein we present a thorough and detailed analysis of SILC in terms of operative techniques, training and learning curves, safety and efficacy levels, recovery trends, and costs by reviewing RCTs conducted over the past three years and two recently updated meta-analyses. All existing literature on single-incision LCBDE and singleincision laparoscopic hepaticojejunostomy has been reviewed to describe these two demanding techniques.

Single-incision laparoscopic surgery to treat hepatopancreatobiliary cancer:A technical review

Single-incision laparoscopic surgery(SILS),or laparoendoscopic single-site surgery,was launched to minimize incisional traumatic effects in the 1990s.Minor SILS,such as cholecystectomies,have been gaining in popularity over the past few decades.Its application in complicated hepatopancreatobiliary(HPB)surgeries,however,has made slow progress due to instrumental and technical limitations,costs,and safety concerns.While minimally invasive abdominal surgery is pushing the boundaries,advanced laparoscopic HPB surgeries have been shown to be comparable to open operations in terms of patient and oncologic safety,including hepatectomies,distal pancreatectomies(DP),and pancreaticoduodenectomies(PD).In contrast,advanced SILS for HPB malignancy has only been reported in a few small case series.Most of the procedures involved minor liver resections and DP;major hepatectomies were rarely described.Singleincision laparoscopic PD has not yet been reported.We herein review the published SILS for HPB cancer in the literature and our three-year experience focusing on the technical aspects.

Transurethral assistant transumbilical laparoendoscopic single-site radical prostatectomy

The laparoendoscopic single-site （LESS） technique is the latest technical innovation in laparoscopic surgery to undergo exponential development in urology. This study undertaken to illustrate our initial experience LESS radical prostatectomy （RP） and analyze early outcomes. Nineteen patients diagnosed with prostate cancer underwent LESS-RP in our institute. The patients were divided into two groups： conventional LESS and transurethral assistant LESS. Preoperative, perioperative, postoperative, pathologic, and functional outcomes data were assessed. With the help of a transurethral assistant, the mean operation and anastomosis time were decreased markedly. No focal positive margins were encountered. No prostate-specific antigen recurrence was detected 1 month postoperatively. Complete continence recovery （no pad） was observed in 32% of the patients at 1 month after the operation. No intraoperative and postoperative complications were reported, LESS-RP is a feasible and effective surgical procedure for treatment of prostate cancer. Moreover, transurethral assistant LESS could reduce the difficulty of LESS-RP and shorten the operation time.

Laparoendoscopic single-site radical prostatectomy： technique and initial outcomes

Background Laparoendoscopic single-site surgery radical prostatectomy （LESS-RP） is a challenging urological procedure and needs to be further evaluated. This study was undertaken to illustrate the safety and initial results of pure LESS-RP with conventional available instruments.

Preliminary experience with transperitoneal laparoendoscopic single-site radical nephrectomy using a home-made single-port device in China

Background Laparoendoscopic single-site （LESS） surgery represents a technique to further reduce morbidity and scarring associated with surgery.We present our preliminary experience with transperitoneal LESS radical nephrectomy （RN） using a home-made single-port device in China.Methods From July 2010 to November 2011,eleven patients with renal tumor not greater than T2 underwent LESS-RN by an experienced laparoscopic surgeon.A home-made single-port device was used through a 5-cm umbilical incision.A combination of standard and articulating laparoscopic instruments was used.The sequence of steps of LESS-RN was similar to transperitoneal laparoscopic RN.Patient characteristics,perioperative variables and postoperative outcomes were recorded and analyzed.Results Except for two transperitoneal laparoscopic conversions and one hand-assisted laparoscopic conversion,the other procedures were completed successfully without conversion to open surgery.The mean operative time was 224.5 （155-297） minutes,estimated blood loss was 270.9 （50-900） ml,and hospital stay was 10.4 （5-15） days.The mean visual analog pain scale （VAPS） on the first postoperative day was 4.0/10.Final pathological analysis revealed renal cell carcinoma in all cases with a stage distribution of three T1a,five T1b,and three T2a tumors.With the mean followup period of 21.4 （12-28） months,all patients were alive without evidence of tumor recurrence or metastasis,and were satisfied with the appearance of the scars.Conclusion Transperitoneal LESS-RN using a home-made single-port device is technically feasible and safe in a selected group of patients （low body mass index and stage tumor） and has excellent cosmetic results.Although preliminary oncologic outcome is not compromised,the long-term evaluation of these patients is awaited.

Laparoscopic single site surgery: Experience in pediatric urology

Laparoendoscopic single-site surgery(LESS) has been developed to benefit patients by enabling surgeons to perform scarless surgery. In this review we aimed to summarize and critically analyze the available evidence on the current status and future prospects for LESS in pediatric urology, with special emphasis on our experience with LESS in children. The clinical data available clearly demonstrate that LESS can safely and effectively be performed in a variety of pediatric urology settings. As clinical experience increases, expanding indications are expected to be documented and the efficacy of the procedure to improve. So far, the quality of evidence of all available studies remains low; mostly being small case series or case-control studies from selected centers. Thus, the only objective benefit of LESS remains improved cosmetic outcome. Prospective randomized studies are awaited to determine which LESS procedures will be established and which are unlikely to stand the test of time. Technological advances hold promise to minimize the challenging technical nature of scarless surgery. In this respect, robotics may be a driving force in the development of LESS.

Single-port transperitoneal robotic-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (spRALP): Initial experience

Objective:To assess the feasibility of single-port transperitoneal robotic-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy(spRALP)and discuss its surgical technique.Methods:A 60-year-old male was admitted with an elevated prostate-specific antigen(PSA)level of 13.89 ng/mL and confirmed with prostate cancer on biopsy showing three of 22 positive cores with a Gleason score of 3þ4=7.Multiparametric magnetic resonance(MR)and bone scintigraphy showed organ-confined disease.spRALP was performed using da Vinci Si HD surgical system,with access of a quadri-channel laparoscopic port placed supraumbilically.Two drainage tubes were placed before wound closure.The surgical procedure was largely in consistence with a conventional robotic-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy.Results:The surgery was successfully carried out with a duration of 152 min and an estimated blood loss of 100 mL.The patient was discharged on postoperative Day 4 after removal of both pelvic drainage tubes.Foley catheter was removed on postoperative Day 14.No major complications were encountered.Postoperative pathology showed a Gleason score of 3þ4=7 with no extraprostatic extension and negative surgical margins.Conclusion:Single-port robotic prostatectomy is feasible using the currently available robotic instruments in most Chinese robotic urological centers.Meticulous preoperative planning and careful patient selection are mandatory.Further studies concerning perioperative complications and pentafecta outcome compared with the conventional multi-port robotic prostatectomy is required.

Prospective randomized comparison of transumbilical two-port laparoscopic and conventional laparoscopic varicocele ligation

We have established a novel method named transumbilical two-port laparoscopic varicocele ligation （TTLVL） for varicocele, which is still needed to evaluate. In this study, 90 patients with left idiopathic symptomatic varicoceles of grades Ⅱ-Ⅲ according to the Dubin grading system were randomly assigned to TTLVL （n = 45） and conventional laparoscopic varicocele ligation （CLVL） （n = 45）. The demographic, intraoperative, postoperative, and follow-up data were recorded and compared between the two groups. All the procedures in the two groups were completed successfully with no intraoperative complications and no conversions to open surgery. No significant difference was found in the operative time, resuming ambulation, bowel recovery, postoperative hospital stay, and postoperative resolution of scrotal pain between the two groups （P 〉 0.05）. However, the postoperative mean visual analog pain scale scores for TTLVL group were all less at 24 h, 48 h, 72 h, and 7 days postoperatively compared to CLVL （P= 0.001, 0.010, 0.006, and 0.027, respectively）. The mean patient scar assessment questionnaire score in postoperative month 3 was 29.7 for TTLVL group compared with 32.1 for CLVL group （P 〈 0.001）. There was no testicular atrophy observed in both groups during the follow-up period. The study shows that TTLVL is a safe, feasible, and effective minimally invasive surgical alternative to CLVL for the treatment of varicocele. Compared with CLVL, TTLVL may decrease postoperative pain and improve the cosmetic outcomes.

Single-port laparoscopic radical prostatectomy： initial experience and technical points to reduce its difficulties

Background Laparoendoscopic single-site surgery （LESS） approaches have been reported for treating various kidney and pelvic procedures, and are feasible and effective in selected patients. In this study, we aimed to present the initial experience and evaluate the efficacy of laparoscopic radical prostatectomy performed through a single incision using a multichannel port. Methods Between July 2010 and April 2011, six patients diagnosed with early stage prostate cancer underwent LESS radical prostatectomy （RP） in our institute. A multichannel port was inserted transperitoneally through a 2-cm umbilical incision. Specially articulating and flexible laparoscopic were used. Some technical tricks and points were applied during the operation to overcome the drawbacks and reduce the difficulties of this approach. Two continuous urethrovesical sutures in both sides were performed to complete both lateral aspects of anastomosis. The two ends of the suture threads were fixed by double Lapro-Clips, instead of the difficult knot-tying. Results Total operative time was （265-＋43） minutes. Mean blood loss was （230_＋65） ml. All cases were completed successfully, without conversion to open surgery or adding additional abdomen ports. No patient required a blood transfusion and no intraoperative complications occurred. The Foley catheter was removed at the 14th day （range 12th-16th） after surgery. At the 12th week of follow-up, all patients had an undetectable prostate-specific antigen level. Two patients used 2 or I pad for continence daily; other patients had achieved good continence. Conclusion In selected cases, LESS-RP is feasible and effective; these technic points and the flexible-articulating instruments are helpful to reduce the operation difficulties.