Cleveland Clinic urological surgeon Dr. Mihir Desai, head of the clinic's endourology department, performed a laparoscopic nephrectomy (complete kidney removal), bilateral pyeloplasty (uretero-pelvic junction repair), ileal ureter replacement, and psoas hitch uretero- neocystostomy (for ureteral obstruction).

Desai performed each ground-breaking surgery by inserting all necessary instruments through a single access port inserted into the patients' navels. No other incisions were created.

Cleveland Clinic officials said the procedures were enabled by the "r-Port," a surgical access device developed by Advanced Surgical Concepts Ltd. of Ireland.

"Trans-umbilical single-port, scar-free surgery is the next major advance in laparoscopic surgery," said Desai. "During traditional laparoscopy, 3-6 small abdominal incisions are made to insert a camera and instruments to perform surgical procedures.

"Our novel single-port approach, when performed trans-umbilically, leaves no visible skin scar, since the belly-button hides the incision site. Post-operative pain appears to be reduced, compared to traditional open or laparoscopic surgery," he added.

The surgeries are to be detailed in the British Journal of Urology International and will be the first peer-reviewed publication of single-port laparoscopy in the field of urology.