Extraction of a foreign body in the liver using single incision laparoscopic surgery: a new application for minimally invasive surgical procedures

Ingestion of foreign bodies is a common medical problem frequently observed in children, psychiatric patients and prisoners. Various cases have been found in the medical literature, with different diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. We report a case of a 41-year-old male inmate, hospitalized for right upper quadrant pain of the abdomen due to the ingestion of two syringe needles two weeks previously. We describe the diagnostic procedure and the removal of one of the two needles that had migrated into the liver parenchyma, using a single-incision laparoscopic surgical technique. The operation was carried out safely through a 2.5 cm transverse incision below the umbilicus. The dissection and the removal of the foreign body were easily conducted under direct visualization using a minimally invasive surgical technique. Our case report demonstrates the efficacy and the security of the laparoscopic treatment in such a challenging area, employing a single port access only.