Abstract
It is difficult to elevate the gallbladder and expose the triangle of Calot using only a pair of forceps during single-incision laparoscopic cholecystectomy (TANKO-LC). TANKO-LC using Kirschner wires (K-wires) to elevate the gallbladder was reported by Cuesta in 2008.
In this study, TANKO-LC was performed using the multi-channel port technique with E·Z access in patients admitted with an attack of cholelithiasis who did not have signs of acute cholecystitis. The procedures were performed using three 5-mm trocars and K-wires inserted in the right upper quadrant of the abdominal cavity.
Among 10 patients who underwent TANKO-LC using K-wires between September 2012 and August 2013, the procedure was successful in nine. Intraoperative bile leakage occurred in one patient, but their postoperative course was uneventful. The mean operative time and the mean blood loss for TANKO-LC using K-wires were not significantly different from those for the conventional reduced-port surgery. However, the mean hospital stay was shorter for TANKO-LC using K-wires. Thus, TANKO-LC using K-wires is a simple, safe, and cost-effective technique.
