A real LESS patient story

Removal of a pancreatic tumour with LESS – Laparo-Endoscopic Single-Site – Surgery

1. You underwent surgery with the LESS procedure for removal of a pancreatic tumour. What questions did you pose to the doctor before the intervention?
Due to my work at the hospital and the explanations by the doctor, I already had a lot of information about the LESS method. Therefore, my questions pertained more to the nature of the tumour than to the technique of the operation. Fortunately, it was a hormonally active yet benign tumour.

2. What were the key reasons for you to opt for this novel surgical method?
I did not see any reason not to agree to this method as it is the least invasive, and the post-operative recovery period might be shorter than in other procedures. I was aware of the fact that this technique had not yet been established for this kind of intervention. Before the operation, it was resolved that the LESS technique would be employed but also that the surgeon would decide during surgery which method fitted best for this intervention. The cosmesis was less important to me in this particular procedure than the safe and gentle removal of the pancreatic tumour. It was predominantly the experience of the surgeons that made it possible to perform the intervention with this method.

3. Before and after the surgery, were you thoroughly informed about the procedure, advantages, adverse events and risks?
The operation and suitable methods as well as the possible risks were discussed in great detail before the surgery.

4. How quickly did you recover after the operation?
I felt very good directly after waking up. I did not feel any pain at all and was generally very comfortable, which was surely attributable to the operative technique employed and the gentle anaesthesia. I first got up on the day after the operation. About one week later I was so well that I could be released.

5. Did you feel any pain directly after the LESS operation and did you need any medication against pain? If so, for how long?
No, not at all, I was never in any pain. The pain catheter was removed three or four days after the surgery and even then I felt no pain at all.

6. For how many days were you treated in the hospital after the operation?
In my particular case I stayed in the hospital for eight days. This was less related to the post-operative healing process and more to the bland diet a patient is put on after pancreatic surgery.

7. Have you ever undergone any open surgery you can now compare to the LESS procedure?
I suffered a complicated fracture in an accident 20 years ago which had to be stabilised with screws. This operation was performed many years ago and cannot be compared to endoscopic surgery of the pancreas with the LESS method. Back then I felt great pain. 

8. Were you able to get back to your daily routine such as working in the garden or exercising directly after your release from the hospital?
Immediately after my release I went cycling. However, I was not allowed to put pressure on the abdominal area for about four to eight weeks.

9. Are you content with the cosmetic result of the operation? Can you see a scar, is this scar increasingly fading? Has the shape of your navel changed?
There are no visible scars and my navel looks exactly the same as before the operation. The surgery was performed half a year ago. There is nothing to remind me of it except for the written results.

10. Would you recommend the LESS procedure to your friends and family (provided, of course, that it is indicated for these patients)?
Yes, of course. The surgical method chosen should always be the one that is most suitable for the patient. If the LESS method is one of the indicated techniques, it should definitely be employed, as it is the most gentle option.

Further stories of LESS patients will follow soon.