Innovative Single-Incision Laparoscopic Surgery

RIVERTON, UT (2/2/2010) – In keeping with Riverton Hospital’s mission to offer patients the latest advances in medical treatment and sustain its role as a premier healthcare center, Riverton Hospital is pleased to announce the successful completion of its first laparoscopic surgery through a single incision.

Cabot Murdock, M.D., a general surgeon at Riverton Hospital, recently performed the hospital’s first single-incision laparoscopic procedure by making a small incision in the patient’s belly button, inserting a camera and several instruments, and removing the patient’s gallbladder using just the one incision.

“With the single-incision technique we have has achieved another milestone. It’s exciting when we can offer patients a surgical experience that can minimize some of the discomfort traditionally associated with surgery,” says Dr. Murdock.

In contrast to multiple entry points – usually involving up to four 1/2-inch or smaller incisions – required by traditional laparoscopic techniques, the single-incision procedure is achieved with one entry point through the patient’s belly button – a clear advantage over traditional laparoscopic surgery that can leave visible scars.

Approximately 500,000 procedures to remove gallbladders are performed each year in the U.S. with more than 80 percent of those cases being performed laparoscopically using multiple entry points. The single-incision procedure not only reduces visible scaring but also reduces the potential for wound pain that can accompany additional incisions.