Does single-port access (SPA) laparoscopy mean reduced pain? A retrospective cohort analysis between SPA and conventional laparoscopy

ObjectiveTo compare perioperative outcomes, including pain, between single-port access (SPA) and conventional laparoscopy in patients with presumed benign gynecological adnexal diseases.Study design A retrospective cohort study was performed at Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Korea. All operations in each group were performed consecutively by a single surgeon.ResultsA total of 188 patients were enrolled, with 94 patients per group. Baseline characteristics before surgery were similar between groups. Visual analogue scale pain scores 24 h after laparoscopy were lower in the SPA group than in the conventional laparoscopy group (2, 0–7 vs. 3, 2–6 P = 0.006). In addition, we found that the SPA group had less supplementary analgesic use (parenteral Ketoprofen intramuscular injection, 1 ampule = 100 mg) per patient after surgery compared to that in the conventional group (1 ampule, 0–7 vs. 2 ampule, 0–6, P = 0.010).ConclusionsThese results add to the evidence suggesting an advantage of SPA laparoscopy over conventional laparoscopy in terms of decreasing postoperative pain. Additional large, randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm these findings and to investigate long-term outcomes such as quality of life and cosmesis.