Natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery

Introduction

Natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) is a recent concept, originating as an extension of interventional endoscopy, but more recently being adopted by laparoscopic surgeons and surgical endoscopists as a less-invasive form of laparoscopy. The first published accounts of what would come to be known as “NOTES” (a term coined by the 2005 joint committee of the American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy [ASGE] and the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons [SAGES] [1]) appeared in 2004. In 2005 and 2006 there were only a handful of papers published on the subject but activity in the form of meeting abstracts and presentations was notable. Starting in 2007 there has been a deluge of papers published on NOTES – 114 in the past 20 months alone ([Fig. 1]).

Fig. 1 The frequency of peer-reviewed publications on natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) since January 2007.

For the purpose of this article, only papers that dealt with natural orifice transluminal flexible endoscopic procedures were considered. Of the 107 or so published reports, seven were not considered as they were published in a non-English journal with limited circulation. Almost exclusively, these reports were editorials bringing the advent of NOTES to the attention of their readership. There were also 16 editorial commentaries on NOTES. These were evenly split (8/8) between positive and negative opinions regarding this new field.

All other reports fall into five different categories:

overviews technology development and assessment basic science and physiologic experiments procedural feasibility experiments early clinical case reports.

References

• 1 ASGE/SAGES Working Group on Natural Orifice Translumenal Endoscopic Surgery White Paper October 2005.  Gastrointest Endosc. 2006;  63 199-203
• 2 Flora E D, Wilson T G, Martin I J. et al . A review of natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) for intra-abdominal surgery: experimental models, techniques, and applicability to the clinical setting.  Ann Surg. 2008;  247 583-602
• 3 Dray X, Gabrielson K L, Buscaglia J M. et al . Air and fluid leak tests after NOTES procedures: a pilot study in a live porcine model.  Gastrointest Endosc. 2008;  68 513-519
• 4 Kalloo A N (ed). Natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery.  Gastrointest Endosc Clin N Am. 2008;  18 225-400
• 5 Voermans R P, Worm A M, van Berge Henegouwen M I. et al . In vitro comparison and evaluation of seven gastric closure modalities for NOTES.  Endoscopy. 2008;  40 595-601
• 6 Ryou M, Fong D G, Pai R D. et al . Evaluation of a novel access and closure device for NOTES applications: a transcolonic survival study in the porcine model.  Urology. 2008;  71 996-1000
• 7 von Delius S, Huber W, Feussner H. et al . Effect of pneumoperitoneum on hemodynamics and inspiratory pressures during natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES): an experimental, controlled study in an acute porcine model.  Endoscopy. 2007;  39 854-861
• 8 Meininger D, Westphal K, Gosse P. et al . Effects of posture and prolonged insufflations on hemodynamic parameters during laparoscopy.  World J Surg. 2008;  32 400-405
• 9 Bingener J, Michalek J, Winston J. et al . Randomized blinded trial comparing the cardiopulmonary effects of NOTES with standard laparoscopy in a porcine survival model.  Surg Endosc. 2008;  22 1430-1434
• 10 Gee D W, Willingham F F, Lauwers G Y. et al . Natural orifice transesophageal mediastinoscopy and thoracoscopy: a survival series in swine.  Surg Endosc. 2008;  22 2117-2123
• 11 Fritscher-Ravens A, Patel K, Ghanbari A. et al . NOTES in the mediastinum: long-term survival animal experiments in transesophageal access, including minor surgical procedures.  Endoscopy. 2007;  39 870-875
• 12 Sumiyama K, Gostout C J, Rajan E. et al . Transesophageal mediastinoscopy by submucosal endoscopy with mucosal flap safety valve mechanism.  Gastrointest Endosc. 2007;  65 688-694
• 13 Moyer M T, Pauli E M, Haluck R S. et al . A self-approximating access technique for potential use in NOTES: an ex-vivo porcine model.  Gastrointest Endosc. 2007;  66 974-978
• 14 Marescaux J, Dellemagne B, Perretta S. et al . Surgery without scars: report of transluminal cholecystectomy in a human being.  Gastrointest Endosc. 2007;  66 974-978
• 15 Palanivelu C, Rajan P S, Rangarajan M. et al . Transumbilical flexible endoscopic cholecystectomy in humans: first feasibility study using a hybrid technique.  Surg Endosc. 2008;  22 1717-1723
• 16 Forgione A, Maggioni D, Sansonna F. et al . Transvaginal endoscopic cholycystectomy in human beings: preliminary results.  J Laparoendosc Adv Surg. 2008;  18 345-351
• 17 Decarli L, Zorron R, Branco A. et al . NOTES transvaginal cholecystectomy in a morbidly obese patient.  Obes Surg. 2008;  18 886-889
• 18 Bernhardt J, Gerber B, Schober H C. et al . NOTES – case report of a unidirectional flexible appendectomy.  Surgery. 2008;  143 318-328
• 19 Lacy A M, Delgado S, Rojas O A. et al . MA-NOS radical sigmoidectomy: report of a transvaginal resection in a human.  Surg Endosc. 2008;  22 1717-1723
• 20 Branco A W, Branco Filho A J, Kondo W. et al . Hybrid transvaginal nephrectomy.  Eur Urol. 2008;  53 1290-1294
• 21 Marks J M, Ponsky J L, Pearl J P, McGee M F. PEG “Rescue”: a practical NOTES technique.  Surg Endosc. 2007;  21 854-858
• 22 Ramos A C, Murakami A, Galvatildeo Neto M. et al . NOTES transvaginal video-assisted cholecystectomy: first series.  Endoscopy. 2008;  40 572-575
• 23 Thele F, Zygmunt M, Glitsch A. et al . How to gynecologists feel about transvaginal NOTES surgery?.  Endoscopy. 2008;  40 576-580
• 24 Canes D, Desai M M, Aron M. et al . Trans-umbilical single-port surgery: evolution and current status.  Eur Urol. 2008;  July 14 [Epub ahead of print]