Published online Jan 7, 2019. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v25.i1.85
Peer-review started: May 27, 2018
First decision: July 4, 2018
Revised: August 22, 2018
Accepted: October 5, 2018
Article in press: October 5, 2018
Published online: January 7, 2019
Processing time: 225 Days and 22.3 Hours
Surgical procedures are shifting paradigms in minimally invasive surgery nowadays, including natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES), which is a technology of utilizing a flexible endoscope through a natural orifice to diagnose diseases and perform surgeries. The emergence of endoscopic tunnel technique makes the diseases which used to need surgical or laparoscopic surgical treatments enter into the endoscopic therapy.
We attempted to put forward a new approach using endoscopic tunneling techniques to perform NOTES, which was named endoscopic trans-esophageal submucosal tunneling surgery (EESTS).
To assess the efficiency of endoscopic trans-esophageal submucosal tunneling surgery technique for diseases located around the aorta ventralis.
We simulated surgeries in a porcine model and to assess the efficiency of this new strategy.
One pig died from intraperitoneal hemorrhage after doing partial splenectomy, while the other pigs were alive after successfully operating all surgeries.
We confirmed that EESTS is feasible and safe.
EESTS by the submucosal tunneling technique to simulate surgeries for diseases located around the aorta ventralis is feasible, efficient, and relatively safe in a porcine model at least. Developing new endoscopic instruments suitable for the technique will be one of the future directions. However, the safety of profile has to be improved before adopting in a clinical setting.