Natural Orifice Surgery

Natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery ' often referenced by the acronym NOTES ' is becoming increasingly popular. One reason: NOTES may reduce the risks of infection. While the popular press often refers to the technique as “scarless surgery,” the term “scarless” may be a misnomer. Rather, surgeons make incisions in areas that are not visible to the outside of the body. Incisions are made inside the body's cavity to gain access to the organ that is the focus of the procedure. From a cosmetic standpoint, no one viewing the outside of the patient's body would see an incision. Physicians may be able to remove organs or tissues through the vagina, mouth or anus after gaining access to the body's inner cavity through minimally invasive surgery.

NOTES reduces some types of risks that are inherent in conventional surgery. These risks are wound infections, adhesions, hernias, postoperative abdominal wall pain and possible compromised immune systems. Chief candidates for scarless surgery would include patients who are morbidly obese, critically ill, or other patients at high risk for conventional surgery. While there are benefits from scarless surgery, there are also areas of potential liability.