Single-incision Laparoscopic Surgery for Weight Loss
Bariatric surgery has come a long way since doctors operated using a long, open incision across the belly. Nowadays, weight loss surgery is performed laparoscopically using 3 to 5 tiny incisions. At Mexico Bariatric Center®, we have the best board-certified surgeons performing single-incision gastric sleeve surgery at affordable prices.
Single-incision laparoscopic surgery (SILS), is the newest technological advancement in bariatric surgery. Single-incision surgery allows bariatric surgeons to perform the exact same weight loss procedures using only one incision.
Single-incision surgery allows patients the aesthetic quality of one minimized scar, faster recovery times, and less pain. We have three advanced bariatric doctors who perform single-incision gastric sleeve surgery.
How Single-Incision Gastric Sleeve Works
Single-Incision Gastric Sleeve in Mexico is the latest minimally-invasive technique that only a select few bariatric surgeons have mastered, along with the specialized and articulate equipment needed. The sleeve gastrectomy is performed exclusively through one portal 1 to 1.5 inches wide in the umbilical or navel area. It is aesthetically preferred as the opening is actually hidden inside the belly button, so the abdomen looks scar-free. Using fewer incisions minimizes your risks, postoperative pain/discomfort, downtime, and visible scarring.
Mexico Bariatric Center® (MBC), the pioneer in bariatric procedures, is proud to be one of the first weight loss centers in Mexico to offer SILS since 2013. MBC’s leading robotics specialists have been trained by top surgeons in Brazil, Mexico City, and Tijuana, as well as Mayo Clinic in the United States.
Single Incision Gastric Sleeve vs. Conventional Gastric Sleeve
Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy (VSG), also known as Gastric sleeve surgery, rapidly rose to the preferred weight loss surgery around the world. In this procedure, the restriction of hunger is achieved by removing about 85% of the stomach. The majority of hunger hormones are removed as the patient does not feel as hungry and feels full faster.
The conventional laparoscopic gastric sleeve operates using 3 to 5 tiny incisions, whereas the single-incision laparoscopic sleeve decreases the number of entry points down to 1 incision. A scarless gastric sleeve is becoming a popular option for many patients with a BMI under 40. Advantages of SILS,
- Reduce scarring
- Quicker recovery time
- Less post-operative pain
- Lower chance of wound site infection/hernias
Occasionally, a second incision is needed to place a drain as a safety measure to help remove any accumulated fluids in the abdomen and reduce swelling.
Additional Benefits of SILS
The SILS procedure has many benefits. It reduces scarring on the body and shortens both healing as well as recovery time significantly compared to traditional bariatric surgery.
It is reported that patients with the single-incision procedure experience;
What Does the Single-Incision Sleeve Package Include?
Mexico Bariatric Center has industry-leading single-incision doctors at a very low price!
Single-Incision Surgery Details
The Gastric sleeve surgery is typically performed with standard ports of three to six incisions. With the advancement of ROBOTIC and SPIDER surgical equipment, bariatric surgeons can now make one small incision to complete the same procedure.
Surgical Steps
- The surgeon makes a small cut in the navel area of the patient under anesthesia.
- A surgeon fills the abdomen with some carbon dioxide to give it a bubble shape in which it can operate.
- Then the spider piece (GelPOINT Advanced Access Platform) is placed through the same incision so that a camera can be inserted as well as other important instruments used during the procedure. This operation is performed in the umbilicus (navel or belly button) or the middle line above the umbilicus.
- During this procedure, a surgeon will free up a portion of the patient’s stomach and seal and divide blood vessels leading into the stomach that is now removed.
- A calibration tube (bougie) is passed through the mouth and down to the stomach.
- The stomach is then stapled and divided into a sleeve alongside the bougie.
- The cut portion of the stomach is later removed from the body through the same small incision used.
- After the stomach is removed and all the instruments are removed, the small incision is closed.
The procedure takes about 90 minutes, and patients typically go home two days post-operative. About 14% of the time, a trocar is placed into the upper abdomen so the surgeon can move the liver, as moving the liver is crucial for a successful operation.
Types of Single-Incision Surgery
The single-incision surgery is becoming a popular surgical procedure using minimally invasive techniques, primarily using the navel (or belly button) as the access point to perform the operation. The benefits of a single incision surgery are the patient’s small, usually noticeable scar. Scarless laparoscopic surgery is becoming the gold standard for gallbladder removal and cholecystectomy worldwide. Recently, the single puncture technique has been applied to complex biliopancreatic procedures.
- SILS – Single-Incision Laparoscopic Surgery
- SPL – Single-Port Laparoscopy
- SPA – Single Port Access Surgery
Calculate Your BMI
Do I Qualify for Single-Incision Surgery?
Patients are considered good candidate when they meet the following:
SILS cannot be performed on patients who have had a previous bariatric procedure since internal scars make a single-incision very difficult to impossible.
SILS Technology
Mexico Bariatric Center surgeons use GelPOINT Port &COVIDIEN SILS™ Port for SILS surgeries. Advanced Access Platform enables a minimally invasive laparoscopic operation by facilitating the triangulation of multiple standard instruments through an insertion point.
GelPOINT Port
GelPOINT Advanced Access Platform is a medical device used to perform gastric sleeve and gastric banding single-incision. This device, made by Applied Medical, has a low internal profile, wider external profile and allows Trocars to be moved around with ease.
COVIDIEN SILS™ Port
COVIDIEN SILS™ Multiple Access Port, made by Medtronic, is designed to facilitate laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy through a single-incision. Freedom of motion, optimal access, maximum maneuverability, and ease of use makes this device ideal for Single Site Sleeve Gastrectomy.
Gelpoint SILS System
COVIDIEN SILS Port
Open – Laparoscopic – Single Incision
Open Surgery
In open surgery, the surgeon makes a long (6 to 8 inches) cut along the abdomen. Due to cutting through abdominal muscle and wall, there is more bleeding. It also causes more discomfort and increases healing time.
Laparoscopic Surgery
The history of laparoscopic surgery goes back 20 years ago. As surgeons became more experienced with the open surgery technique and equipment advanced, laparoscopic surgery began. With laparoscopic bariatric surgery, six incisions are made across the patient’s belly. Although laparoscopic surgery leaves more scars, it avoids the complications of single-incision surgery.
Single-Incision Laparoscopic Surgery
Single-incision became a viable option for more experienced surgeons who could operate on patients using only one incision. This technique takes more time to complete and is more difficult than general laparoscopic surgery. In Mexico, single-incision laparoscopic surgery is growing in popularity for patients who want little to no scarring.
History of Single Incision
* Prices are subject to change. Not valid on certain dates (blackout dates). Prices depend on the surgeon, surgery, additional fees, and schedule. Prices may rise because of BMI level and previous abdominal surgeries.
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Updated: Dec 2022, by Ron Elli, Ph.D.