Single port laparoscopic subtotal colectomy and ileostomy in an adolescent with ulcerative colitis.

INTRODUCTION: Single port laparoscopic surgery has been increasingly used for complex surgical procedures. To our knowledge, this is the first published report of a single port laparoscopic subtotal colectomy and ileostomy in an adolescent patient with ulcerative colitis. CASE REPORT: A 13-year old female patient with ulcerative colitis resistant to maximal medical therapy underwent a single port laparoscopic subtotal colectomy and ileostomy. Both the procedure and the postoperative recovery were uneventful and the patient was discharged home on the sixth postoperative day. Follow-up at 3 and 8 weeks after surgery identified no early complications with a 4 kg weight gain. DISCUSSION: Single port laparoscopic surgery is feasible in the adolescent population if there is appropriate surgical expertise and strict patient selection.