ALBANY — Minimally invasive surgery recently became even less invasive at Albany Medical Center.

Dr. T. Paul Singh, director of minimally invasive surgery at the hospital, recently began using a new technique to remove gall bladders through a single incision in the naval.

This technique, referred to as single port surgery, is currently only offered locally at Albany Med.

“Basically, it’s sort of an evolution in laparoscopic surgery where, instead of having multiple ports across the abdomen, the operation is done through one single port, usually through the belly button, because you can reach most areas of the abdomen through that area,” explained Singh.

In traditional laparoscopic surgery, which has been performed for more than a decade as an alternative to open surgery, a telescopic rod connected to a video camera or laparoscope is inserted through a small incision in the abdomen. Three to five additional incisions are made and used as ports, where the other necessary surgical instruments are inserted.

Multiple benefits

In single-port surgery, smaller, more flexible instruments enter the naval through the same port, a technique that offers numerous benefits to the patient.

“For the same length of stay or less, patients are experiencing even less discomfort and are returning to work sooner with reduced down time for recovery,” said Singh. “Since the incision is made through the naval, there is little to no scarring and less risk of infection.”

Singh said he has done about 20 single-port operations since May.

“Most people report they have much less pain, and they feel like they can return to work quicker,” said Singh. “We’ve had some patients have surgery and go back to work within two, three days.”

As technology continues to improve, Singh said, surgeons will be able to do more complex surgeries using the technique, such as donor kidney removals, appendectomies and colon surgeries.

Most patients who are eligible for laparoscopic surgery are also good candidates for single-port procedures. Patients who are morbidly obese or who already have had multiple major abdominal surgeries may not be eligible as both conditions may limit visibility and movement inside the abdomen.

“Basically we are limited by technology and equipment,” said Singh.

Louis Filhour, 55, of Hudson, woke up at 1:30 a.m. on Sept. 2, with a dull, constant ache in his right side.

“There was no position that I could get in that was comfortable,” said Filhour, who is senior vice president for clinical quality at Albany Med.

He went to work the next day, but he ended up in the emergency room when the pain wouldn’t go away. Tests showed he had gallstones.

Knowing Singh’s reputation as an excellent laparoscopic surgeon, Filhour requested that Singh remove his gall bladder.

“I didn’t know anything about the single-port surgery,” Filhour said. “But I had some concerns because both my father and my sister had open gall bladder surgery several years ago, and my father had major complications and ended up in the intensive care unit.”

Filhour saw Singh a day later and learned he was a candidate for single port surgery.

“Since the surgery was less invasive, I was excited that I would have minimal scarring, a faster recovery, and less risk for infection,” said Filhour.

Filhour said he had the surgery on a Friday, and had no memory of the procedure when he woke up in the recovery room.

“Of course, I wanted to know what they did so I looked down, and I could see where they had shaved the hair off, and I saw a liquid patch,” recalled Filhour, who went back to his home that evening.

Back to routine

Filhour was back at work on Monday morning for a meeting. He worked for half a day, and returned to work full time on Wednesday.

“With the old, open technique, patients were in the hospital for three to five days, back to work in two to three weeks, and back to full activity six to eight weeks after surgery,” said Singh.

Filhour, a fitness enthusiast, said he was back at the gym in seven days doing some of his exercises, and back to his full exercise program in about six weeks.

“I think one of the things that helps recovery is being able to get up and walk so much sooner,” said Filhour. “With no scars and a quick recovery, I would recommend this surgery to anyone.”