Transvaginal laparo-endoscopic single-site sigmoidectomy.

Shelygin, Y A; Frolov, S A; Achkasov, S I; Sushkov, O I; Shakhmatov, D G

We report a case of sigmoid colon resection by single-incision laparoscopic surgery using transvaginal access. The patient was a 54-year-old woman with early stage sigmoid cancer who had no previous surgery and had a body mass index of 23.5 kg/m(2). The operative time was 270 min, and the blood loss was negligible. We used only transvaginal access, since no transabdominal assistance was required. No complications occurred. Minimal postoperative pain and a rapid recovery of gastrointestinal function were observed. As novel equipment is introduced into clinical practice, transvaginal laparoscopic procedures will most likely become increasingly popular in abdominal surgery. In particular, this type of procedure will have a more defined role in colorectal surgery. Indeed, in the future, it may become an alternative for natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery.