Incidence of incisional hernias and cosmetic outcome after laparoscopic single-incision cholecystectomy: a long-term follow-up cohort study of 125 patients.

Background: Studies have evaluated long-term occurrence of incisional hernia, cosmesis, and postoperative pain after single-incision laparoscopic cholecystectomy (SILC). However, the follow-up periods were rarely defined longer than 12 months. The authors performed a cohort study to evaluate hernia rate and cosmesis in a prolonged follow-up period. Methods: All patients that underwent SILC at the University Hospital Brandenburg an der Havel Hospital between December 2008 and November 2014 were evaluated in terms of postoperative complications, and a follow-up telephone interview including the existence of hernias and chronic pain was performed. Cosmesis and the overall satisfaction of the scar was measured by POSAS (Patient and Observer Scar Assessment Scale). Results: In total 125 patients underwent SILC. The single-incision approach was completed in 94.4%, an additional trocar was necessary in 3.2% ( Conclusion: The present study demonstrates that SILC is a safe alternative in terms of incisional hernia rate and complications with a high satisfaction of the scar even after one decade after surgery. In comparison to shorter follow-up period and multiport laparoscopic cholecystectomy, our result is comparable.