Third-generation nephrectomy by natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery

Recently there has been increasing enthusiasm for performing simple abdominal procedures by transgastric surgery. We previously reported the usefulness of a combined transgastric and transvesical approach to cholecystectomy. In this study we assessed the feasibility of combined transgastric and transvesical approach for performing a more complex surgical procedure, such as nephrectomy, in a porcine model

Transvesical endoscopic peritoneoscopy: a novel 5 mm port for intra-abdominal scarless surgery

Purpose: Recently various groups reported successful attempts to perform intra-abdominal surgery through a transgastric pathway. We assessed the feasibility and safety of a novel transvesical endoscopic approach to the peritoneal cavity through a 5 mm port in a porcine model.Materials and Methods: Transvesical endoscopic peritoneoscopy was performed in 8 anesthetized female pigs, including 3 nonsurvival and 5 survival animals. Under cystoscopic guidance a vesical hole was created on the ventral bladder wall with an open-ended ureteral catheter. An over tube with a luminal diameter of 5.5 mm was placed in the peritoneal cavity, guided by a 0.035-inch guidewire. In all animals we performed peritoneoscopy of the entire abdomen as well as liver biopsy and falciform. ligament section. A vesical catheter was placed for 4 days in all survival animals, which were sacrificed by day 15 postoperatively.Results: After a learning curve in the first 3 nonsurvival animals the creation of a vesical hole and placement of the over tube were performed without complication in all survival animals. In these animals we easily introduced an EndoEYE (TM) into the peritoneal cavity, which provided a view of all intra-abdominal viscera, as well as a 9.8Fr ureteroscope, which allowed simple surgical procedures without complications. In survival experiments all pigs recovered. Necropsy examination revealed complete healing of the vesical hole and no signs of infection or adhesions into the peritoneal cavity.Conclusions: Transvesical endoscopic peritoneoscopy was technically feasible and it could be safely performed in a porcine model. This study provides encouragement for additional preclinical studies of transvesical surgery with or without combinations with other natural orifices approaches to design new intra-abdominal scarless procedures in what seems to be third generation surgery.Supported by Grants Bolsa de Investigação Básica JABA 2005 da Associação Portuguesa de Urologia and POCTI/SAU-OBS/56428/2004 from FCT-Portugal

Experimental foundation for natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery and hybrid natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery

Natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) is one of the most exciting concepts that has emerged recently in the surgical field. All accesses to the abdominal cavity in the porcine model using natural orifices, e.g. transgastric, transvesical, transcolonic and transvaginal, have been described and explored. The experimental feasibility of all procedures by NOTES was successfully demonstrated in the porcine model using different types of natural orifices. However, few translations to the human have been made. NOTES is in a developmental stage and much work is still needed to refine techniques, verify safety and document efficacy. This paper is an update on the experimental foundation for NOTES and hybrid NOTES and examines the opportunities presented by this new surgical vision

Third-generation cholecystectomy by natural orifices: transgastric and transvesical combined approach (with video)

An isolated transgastric port has some limitations in performing transluminal endoscopic cholecystectomy. However, transvesical access to the peritoneal cavity has recently been reported to be feasible and safe. Background An isolated transgastric port has some limitations in performing transluminal endoscopic cholecystectomy. However, transvesical access to the peritoneal cavity has recently been reported to be feasible and safe. Objective To assess the feasibility and the technical benefits of transgastric and transvesical combined approach to overcome the limitations of isolated transgastric ports. Design We created a transgastric and transvesical combined approach to perform cholecystectomy in 7 consecutive anesthetized female pigs. The transgastric access was achieved after perforation and dilation of the gastric wall with a needle knife and with a balloon, respectively. Under cystoscopic control, an ureteral catheter, a guidewire, and a dilator of the ureteral sheath were used to place a transvesical 5-mm overtube into the peritoneal cavity. By using a gastroscope positioned transgastrically and a ureteroscope positioned transvesically, we carried out cholecystectomy in all animals. Results Establishment of transvesical and transgastric accesses took place without complications. Under a carbon dioxide pneumoperitoneum controlled by the transvesical port, gallbladder identification, cystic duct, and artery exposure were easily achieved in all cases. Transvesical gallbladder grasping and manipulation proved to be particularly valuable to enhance gastroscope-guided dissection. With the exclusion of 2 cases where mild liver-surface hemorrhage and bile leak secondary to the sliding of cystic clips occurred, all remaining cholecystectomies were carried out without incidents. Limitations Once closure of the gastric hole proved to be unreliable when using endoclips, the animals were euthanized; necropsy was performed immediately after the surgical procedure. Conclusions A transgastric and transvesical combined approach is feasible, and it was particularly useful to perform a cholecystectomy through exclusive natural orifices

Implementation of endoscopic submucosal dissection in Europe: survey after ten ESD expert training workshops 2009 – 2018

Background and aims Transfer of ESD technique for early gastrointestinal cancer from Japan requires expert-supervised experimental training before unsupervised implementation of clinical ESD. Aims To evaluate unsupervised implementation of ESD-intention-to-treat (-ITT). Methods ESD Workshops (in-vivo porcine model) lasted 3.3 days including one day theory for 177 participants from 135 Western referral centers. A questionnaire was sent to the senior participant of all 135 centers. Design Cross-sectional questionnaire survey. Main outcome measurements Performance, organ distribution, severe adverse events of ESD-ITT. Results Feedback was received from 113 centers (84%), i.e. 73 (54%) ESD centers and 40 centers (30%) with zero ESD; 10 (7%) had published ESD; no feedback from 12 (9%) centers with unknown status. Altogether, 83 centers (61.5%) perform ESD: 21 (16%) had >150 ESD (professional category), 33 (24%) had 31-150 ESD (competent category), and 29 (21.5%) had ≤ 30 ESD (initial learning category). Most implemented ESD centers (91%, 72 of 79) were analyzed: Centers on initial learning (420 ESD) compared to centers with >30 ESD (5676 ESD) performed en-bloc ESD in 64% vs. 84%, hybrid-ESD in 26% vs.11% and piecemeal-EMR in 10% vs. 5.2%. Majority of ESD (66-68%) were in colorectum, overall with low risk (30-day mortality 0.03%, surgical repair 3.5% vs. 1.7%) and satisfactory outcome (oncosurgery 7.4% vs. 5.2%, local recurrence 1.5% vs. 0.3%). Conclusions Beyond guideline recommendations, unsupervised implementation of ESD was successful in colorectum with step-up approach. Now, Western ESD centers have to aim for professional (i.e. >80%) curative ESD