NOTES: past, present and future

Abstract

Once in a few decades in science or medicine, an idea emerges that is so powerful that it changes forever how we think about that field. Natural Orifices Translumenal Endoscopic Surgery (NOTES) has the potential to break the physical barrier between bodily trauma and surgery. At the dawn of surgery, excellence was associated with big incisions: “big scar - big surgeon”. In the 80s, minimally invasive surgery was born representing one of the greatest surgical evolutions of the 20th century. After Kalloo's first report in 2004 on transgastric peritoneoscopy in a porcine model, the interest in natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) has blossomed. Theoretically the same operation performed laparoscopically could be carried out through natural orifices without any abdominal incision avoiding pain and scarring. The lesson learned from the advent of laparoscopic surgery, thought us that we could be witnessing the birth of another surgical revolution. Since 2004 many abdominal procedures that use a NOTES approach have been successfully performed in animal models. However, the initial excitement for NOTES has been somewhat tempered by the reality that a NOTES procedure in human without laparoscopic assistance has not been performed by most groups. Indeed, a major issue is the lack of stable operative platform and flexible instruments that allow retraction and exposure of the organs, such as appendix or gallbladder. Will this issue change the future of NOTES?