Using a new technique, surgeons successfully removed a gallbladder through a single incision in the bellybutton. Gallbladder removal is a common procedure. Traditional open surgery requires a four-inch incision in the abdomen, and minimally invasive laparoscopic procedures use several small incisions. The new single-incision method is appealing because it means faster healing and a reduced risk of bleeding, pain, scarring, and infection.

The single-incision method, performed at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Texas, involved inserting a thin flexible camera and narrow surgical instruments through an ½” incision in the belly button. The gallbladder was safely removed through the same incision. Researchers hope to standardize the new technique and apply it to other gastrointestinal surgeries in the future.