LOS ANGELES, CA, USA (News Release) - September 15, 2009 - HSC Weekly - For the first time in Southern California, urologic surgeons at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California (USC) Institute of Urology and USC-affiliated Childrens Hospital Los Angeles recently performed “belly-button” single port laparoscopic kidney removal surgery in a child with non-functioning kidneys.


To date, four children have undergone the procedure since Aug. 30, 2009. The technique is called laparo-endoscopic single-site surgery (LESS). The entire procedure is performed using specialized instrumentation through a small incision completely concealed within the umbilicus, leaving virtually no visible scar.

The procedures were performed by surgeons from the USC Institute of Urology: Chester Koh, M.D., assistant professor of Urology (pediatric) and director of the Pediatric Robotic Surgery program at Childrens Hospital; Roger De Filippo, M.D., assistant professor of Urology (pediatric) at Childrens Hospital, and Mihir Desai, M.D., professor of Clinical Urology at the Keck School of Medicine and director of Robotics at USC University Hospital.

“We are delighted we can offer a procedure with so many advantages,” said Dr. Koh, “The LESS technique really lives up to its name – less scarring, and the potential for even less pain and less recovery time.” Dr. Desai, a noted pioneer and leader in the field of LESS surgery, indicated that the USC team has developed many applications of LESS surgery in urology. “Patients typically go home after an overnight hospital stay after these cutting-edge procedures,” he said.

Among the children who received the surgery was a six-year-old girl whose kidney was obstructed and enlarged. Another child, a three-year-old boy, suffers from multiple medical, cardiac and intestinal problems; one of his kidneys was removed because of urinary tract infections.

Surgeons at the USC Institute of Urology have the most experience with “belly-button” surgery in the world and recently published their experience with 100 patients.

“The USC Institute of Urology’s world-class urologic surgeons and researchers are constantly striving to develop the technologies of the future, while providing the highest level of personalized care to our patients,” said Inderbir S. Gill, M.D., professor and chairman, USC Institute of Urology, who pioneered “belly-button” single-port kidney removal for transplantation.

University of Southern California

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