It’s the future of surgery. And its first steps are taking place at the University of California San Diego Medical Center.
Today UC San Diego surgeons at the Center for the Future of Surgery are at the forefront of scarless surgery. The potential benefits for all will be significantly less pain, quicker recoveries, fewer complications, and no scars. Right now this clinical trial is redefining the very idea of surgery. After all, that’s the power of academic medicine in practice every day at UC San Diego.
About NOTES - Virtually Scarless Surgery
Surgeons at the University of California, San Diego Medical Center have performed the first clinical trial surgeries in the Southwest to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of performing abdominal procedures through the body’s natural openings, virtually eliminating scarring.
The UCSD Medical Center procedures have involved removing the gallbladder or appendix through the patient’s vagina or mouth, without traditional incisions through the skin. Only one small incision through the naval is required to help guide the surgeon. This experimental procedure received approval for a limited number of patients by UC San Diego’s Institutional Review Board (IRB) which oversees clinical research.
The procedure, called Natural Orifice Translumenal Endoscopic Surgery (NOTES), involves passing surgical instruments, and a tiny camera, through a natural orifice, such as the mouth or the vagina, to the desired organ. By avoiding major incisions through the skin, muscle, and nerves of the abdomen, patients may experience a quicker recovery with less pain and scarring while reducing the risk of post operative hernias.
Santiago Horgan, M.D., a leader in minimally invasive and robotic surgery, and Mark A. Talamini, M.D., professor and chair of the Department of Surgery at UC San Diego Medical Center performed California’s first NOTES surgery on a 42-year old San Diego resident. Her gallbladder was removed through the vagina during a 1.5 hour procedure. UC San Diego Medical Center is the third U.S.-based hospital to perform NOTES.
Benefits
This novel approach may lead the trend of moving away from open cavity surgeries that involve major incisions and long hospitalizations. These new minimally invasive techniques will allow patients to return to their home, family and work more quickly.
The NOTES approach, takes minimally invasive surgery one step further in terms of reducing pain, scarring, and recovery time
News
More Information
Natural Orifice Surgery Consortium for Assessment and Research (NOSCAR)™