Emily is a sporty and energetic 22-year-old who recently got married in Singapore. Earlier this year, she started experiencing occasional right pelvic pain after her gym sessions. After some investigations and ultrasound tests, it was revealed that Emily had a five-cm ovarian cyst that may be the cause of her pain. It was likely that Emily would need surgery to remove the ovarian cyst.
“Just the thought of having me cut up and leaving an ugly scar was enough to put me off surgery” said Emily, who was hoping the ovary cyst would disappear by itself.
She’s not alone: many women fear surgeries because of the unsightly scars operations leave behind. The scar can affect their physical appearance and self-esteem and even serve as a memory of their surgery.
However, in the following two months, repeated ultrasounds showed the ovarian cyst to persist, and Emily was experiencing more frequent pains after each gym workout. Believing that the cyst was causing the ovary to twist about its attachment to the womb, Dr Anthony Siow, an Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at Gleneagles Hospital, advised Emily to consider surgery.
Laparoscopic surgery, or keyhole surgery, used to be the answer to this problem. Three to four small cuts of around 1 cm are made on the abdomen for a surgical camera and laparoscopic instruments to be inserted into the abdomen to perform surgery. “This is unlike traditional open surgeries where a surgeon makes a 10-cm cut with a scalpel to gain access into the abdomen for the surgery.” says Dr Siow.
Even then, there were some women who did not like the idea of having four small scars on their abdomen. Now, there is an alternative to laparoscopic surgery, known as Single Incision Laparoscopic (SIL) surgery. With SIL, only one cut of about 2.5cm is made at the navel in place of the 4 small cuts of laparoscopy. A special SIL port is then placed at the navel to enable all the camera system and laparoscopic instruments access into the abdomen for surgery.
Preferring one cut instead of four, Emily chose Single Incision Laparoscopic surgery. The main benefit of this surgery is that it is virtually scar-less. “The only cut at the navel eventually heals to become an inconspicuous fold that looks like part of the belly button. With no other cuts on the rest of the abdomen, the scar is almost unperceivable,” says Dr Siow.
Other than the cosmetic improvement, Single Incision Laparoscopic surgery also improves upon the previous benefits of keyhole surgery. With only 1 small cut instead of 4, the risks of bleeding and abdominal wall injuries are reduced. “In addition, an SIL procedure makes caring for just one small cut instead of four cuts much easier after surgery.” Dr Siow says.
Emily’s surgery was a success and the 5-cm benign ovarian cyst was removed. Her recovery was quick, and she did not need to take any painkillers after the second day of surgery. In a month, Emily gleefully reported that even her husband could not find her surgical scar as it had healed into a fold of her navel. She has returned to her gym routine and not only feels good, but looks good and is pain-free.
“While successful surgery and smooth recovery are of utmost importance for our patients, reducing the presence of surgical scars – an unwanted reminder of the surgery – can positively contribute to the patient’s feel-good factor and recovery process,” Dr Siow advises. “In that sense, laparoscopic keyhole surgery and Single Incision Laparoscopic surgery are ideal for female patients to regain their quality of life after surgery.”
Dr Anthony Siow is the first gynaecologist in Singapore to perform Single Incision Laparoscopy for Hysterectomy and Myomectomy. He is among the few in the region to have done more than 200 such cases and is frequently invited to teach and demonstrate this new technique of laparoscopic surgery. Dr Siow is also a Member of the Royal Australia & New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. a Fellow of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists in the United Kingdom as well as the Academy of Medicine, Singapore.
Call Gleneagles Patient Assistance Centre at the 24-Hour hotline (6575 7575) or email gpac@parkway.sg and get a specialist appointment within 24 hours.
Gleneagles Hospital, 6A Napier Road, Singapore 258500.
This article is sponsored by Gleneagles Hospital.