Physicians are now removing appendixes by entering the body through the mouth. The procedure, called Natural Orifice Translumenal Endosurgery (NOTES) involves the insertion of tools down the throat and through an incision in the stomach lining. Once the appendix is cut loose, it's pulled out of the mouth. Apparently, there are other variations of the technique, including gall bladder removal through an incision made in the vagina. One big benefit is that these surgeries don't leave any visible scar. Advocates say NOTES can be performed without putting the patient under because there are fewer nerves fibers within the body that transmit pain than on the skin. Recover time is also quicker. From New Scientist:
In many ways, transgastric surgery is a natural extension of keyhole surgery, in which slim surgical tools are inserted into the abdomen via small incisions in the skin, avoiding a large cut in the belly. It has now become routine for procedures such as gall bladder removal.
Transgastric surgery promises to go one better. Much of the discomfort and recovery time after conventional surgery – even keyhole surgery – is due to the incisions made in the abdominal wall. However, because transgastric surgeons reach the abdominal cavity through the mouth, there is no need for an incision, so patients should be back up on their feet much faster, says Jürgen Hochberger at St Bernward Hospital in Hildesheim, Germany.
