Background: Natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) is the anticipated progression of minimally invasive surgery. As it approaches, surgeons will need to develop the fundamental skills and spatial orientation needed to perform safely in this new field. The Natural Orifice Surgery Consortium for Assessment and Research has established several fundamental challenges to the safe introduction of NOTES. Our institutional experience with laparoscopic-assisted endoluminal surgery is reviewed to display the techniques and efficacy of procedures that address many of these challenges and may provide a safe transition for the general surgeon to NOTES or as an alternative to pure NOTES.
Methods: A retrospective review of all laparoscopic-assisted endoluminal surgeries from 1991 to 2007 was performed. Patients had been referred to the institution and selected after either unsuccessful attempts from traditional endoscopic resection of pathology by a gastroenterologist or being deemed an unfavorable candidate for traditional endoscopic resection. All procedures involved establishment of pneumoperitoneum, placement of trochar ports under laparoscopic visualization, balloon ports in gastric cases combined with endoscopy, intraluminal insufflation, coordinated resection of intraluminal pathology using both the endoscopic and laparoscopic instruments, and closure of the intraluminal port sites with intracorporeal suturing.
Results: A total of 175 procedures were performed from 1991 to 2007 using these techniques. These procedures varied and included laparoscopic monitored colonoscopic polypectomy, resection of gastric polyps, intraluminal cystgastrostomy, gastric ulcer resection, and foreign body removal. The average age was 55 years (range 38 to 75 y), length of operation 95 minutes (range 60 to 137 min), hospital stay 3.5 days, and 5 complications (2.8%). Of the total procedures, 18 (10.2%) patients were found to have malignancy on frozen section and preceded with a formal resection. There are no cancer recurrences to date with a mean follow up of 74 months (6 to 196 mo).
Conclusions: Our institutional experience with these procedures seems to be a natural transition to developing skills for NOTES procedures and displays a safe and effective approach to a wide range of intraluminal pathology. The general surgeon in practice can use this union of laparoscopy and endoscopy using current instruments and technology for safe transition into the emerging field of NOTES, or even as an alternative to pure NOTES. Mastery of intraoperative endoscopy and intraluminal surgery will be essential to this transition.