Brief report

Initial experience with hybrid transvaginal cholecystectomy

Transmural and intramural endoscopic surgery represents a new step in minimally invasive surgery and endoscopy, with the potential to be applied for similar indications as laparoscopic and open surgery to improve patient care. In recent years, experimental studies evolved to successful clinical series on natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES). In this chapter, clinical applications on intramural endoscopy, especially for peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) technique and NOTES transgastric, transvaginal, and transanal (transrectal) access, are discussed and evaluated, with critical view of limitations, complications, and need for new technology.

We performed an evaluation of models, techniques, and applicability to the clinical setting of natural orifice surgery (mainly natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery [NOTES]) primarily in general surgery procedures. NOTES has attracted much attention recently for its potential to establish a completely alternative approach to the traditional surgical procedures performed entirely through a natural orifice. Beyond the potentially scar-free surgery and abolishment of dermal incision–related complications, the safety and efficacy of this new surgical technology must be evaluated.

Studies were identified by searching MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and Entrez PubMed from 2007 to February 2011. Most of the references were identified from 2009 to 2010. There were limitations as far as the population that was evaluated (only human beings, no cadavers or animals) was concerned, but there were no limitations concerning the level of evidence of the studies that were evaluated.

The studies that were deemed applicable for our review were published mainly from 2007 to 2010 (see Methods section). All the evaluated studies were conducted only in human beings. We studied the most common referred in the literature orifices such as vaginal, oral, gastric, esophageal, anal, or urethral. The optimal access route and method could not be established because of the different nature of each procedure. We mainly studied procedures in the field of general surgery such as cholecystectomy, intestinal cancers, renal cancers, appendectomy, mediastinoscopy, and peritoneoscopy. All procedures were feasible and most of them had an uneventful postoperative course. A number of technical problems were encountered, especially as far as pure NOTES procedures are concerned, which makes the need of developing new endoscopic instruments, to facilitate each approach, undeniable.

NOTES is still in the early stages of development and more robust technologies will be needed to achieve reliable closure and overcome technical challenges. Well-designed studies in human beings need to be conducted to determine the safety and efficacy of NOTES in a clinical setting. Among these NOTES approaches, the transvaginal route seems less complicated because it virtually eliminates concerns for leakage and fistulas. The transvaginal approach further favors upper-abdominal surgeries because it provides better maneuverability to upper-abdominal organs (eg, liver, gallbladder, spleen, abdominal esophagus, and stomach). The stomach is considered one of the most promising targets because this large organ, once adequately mobilized, can be transected easily with a stapler. The majority of the approaches seem to be feasible even with the equipment used nowadays, but to achieve better results and wider applications to human beings, the need to develop new endoscopic instruments to facilitate each approach is necessary.

La cirugía endoscópica transluminal a través de orificios naturales (NOTES, del inglés Natural Orifice Translumenal Endoscopic Surgery), engloba un conjunto de nuevas vías de abordaje endoscópico de la cavidad abdominal, con ventajas potenciales sobre la cirugía laparoscópica convencional. Se fundamenta en la posibilidad de realizar técnicas quirúrgicas intraperitoneales mediante la entrada en la cavidad peritoneal a través de los orificios naturales perforando el órgano que permite la entrada directa a dicha cavidad (estómago, vagina, recto, vejiga). Posteriormente se ha postulado la posibilidad de este mismo acceso para acceder al retroperitoneo y al mediastino.

A continuación se comenta como se ha desarrollado la técnica y cómo ha sido la aplicación en nuestro país, intentado dar una visión general sobre los riesgos y beneficios de la NOTES y las necesidades básicas para poder iniciarse en esta nueva cirugía.

Natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES), involves a group of new endoscopic approaches to the abdominal cavity, with potential advantages over conventional laparoscopic surgery. It is based on the possibility of performing intra-peritoneal surgical techniques through natural orifices by entering the peritoneal cavity through natural orifices perforating the organ that allows direct access to that cavity (stomach, vagina, rectum, bladder). The possibility of using this same route to access the retroperitoneum and mediastinum has subsequently been postulated.

Comments are made on how the technique has been developed, as well as how it has been applied in our country, attempting to give a general view on the risks and benefits of NOTES and the basic requirements to be able to start in this new surgery.

The success of natural orifice surgery depends on a reliable, secure closure of the opening in the gut. Forces that might be exerted on the gastric wall to disrupt closure have not been measured in humans or animals.

To determine how transmural gastric pressure gradients vary under different experimental conditions.

In vivo porcine model.

Animal laboratory.

Eleven laboratory pigs.

Pressure transducers were placed in the abdomen and stomachs of the test animals. Simultaneous pressure measurements were obtained to determine the stresses applied to the gastric wall during various maneuvers.

Continuous intra-abdominal and intragastric pressures in vivo. Transgastric pressure gradients (ΔP) were computed in real time by subtracting gastric pressure from abdominal pressure.

In all cases, the measured gastric pressures were nearly identical to those measured in the abdominal cavity because the stomach is entirely contained within the abdomen. The transmural gastric pressure gradients were near zero during a variety of experimental conditions.

Anesthetized animal model, not engaged in usual activities. Relatively low pressures generated during a cough sequence and a Valsalva maneuver compared with reported values in the literature.

Estimates of gastric pressures that must be tolerated by gastric closure devices after natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery procedures have been greatly overestimated. Absolute gastric pressure is counteracted by external (intra-abdominal) pressure such that the net transmural gastric pressure gradient remains near zero under a variety of conditions.