Evolution of robotic systems for transoral head and neck surgery.

Oropharyngeal tumor is traditionally resected from an open approach, often necessitating the need of a midline mandibulotomy in order to remove tumor safely with oncologic margins. The limitations imposed by a transoral route include poor visualization of the inferior extent of the oropharynx, rigid instrumentation, and inability to resect tumor that extends caudally into the supraglottis. While visualization with angled endoscopes, coupled with flexible laser development and microscopic magnification may overcome some of these limitations, this technique suffers from linear trajectory of the instruments which hampers expedient surgical resection in a 3-dimensional fashion. With development of the Da Vinci Surgical System, the safety and oncologic feasibility of removing oropharyngeal tumors are made possible because it provides a 3-dimensional magnification of the surgical field and wristed maneuverability of the surgical instruments which enable surgeons to operate around tight anatomical confines. Nevertheless, this first-generation robot is continually being modified with more flexibility and maneuverability through the development of robots like the FLEX Robotic System and more recently the Da Vinci Single Port System (SP). In this review, we will discuss the historic developments of robots for transoral applications, present the current approved robotic systems, and highlight the upcoming robots for transoral robotic surgery (TORS). Finally, we will also propose an ideal TORS surgical robot by highlighting the engineering technologies to accomplish these challenges.

Robotic Head and Neck Surgery: History, Technical Evolution and the Future.

The first application of robotic technology in surgery was described in 1985 when a robot was used to define the trajectory for a stereotactic brain biopsy. Following its successful application in a variety of surgical operations, the da Vinci® robot, the most widely used surgical robot at present, made its clinical debut in otorhinolaryngology and head and neck surgery in 2005 when the first transoral robotic surgery (TORS) resections of base of tongue neoplasms were reported. Subsequently, the indications for TORS rapidly expanded, and they now include tumours of the oropharynx, hypopharynx, parapharyngeal space, and supraglottic larynx, as well as obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). The da Vinci® robot has also been successfully used for scarless-in-the-neck thyroidectomy and parathyroidectomy. At present, the main barrier to the wider uptake of robotic surgery is the prohibitive cost of the da Vinci® robotic system. Several novel, flexible surgical robots are currently being developed that are likely to not only enhance patient safety and expand current indications but also drive down costs, thus making this innovation more widely available. Future directions relate to overlay technology through augmented reality/AR that allows real-time image-guidance, miniaturisation (nanorobots), and the development of autonomous robots.

History, Evolution, and Continuing Innovations of Intracranial Aneurysm Surgery.

Evolution in the surgical treatment of intracranial aneurysms is driven by the need to refine and innovate. From an early application of the Hunterian carotid ligation to modern-day sophisticated aneurysm clip designs, progress has been made through dedication and technical maturation of cerebrovascular neurosurgeons to overcome challenges in their practices. The global expansion of endovascular services has challenged the existence of aneurysm surgery, changing the complexity of the aneurysm case mix and volume that are referred for surgical repair. Concepts of how to best treat intracranial aneurysms have evolved over generations and will continue to do so with further technological innovations. As with the evolution of any type of surgery, innovations frequently arise from the criticism of current techniques.

Lessons Learned from Traditional NOTES: A Historical Perspective.

The idea of natural orifice surgery was conceived by Kantsevoy and Kalloo in the late 1990s. A group of surgeons formed the Apollo Group in 1997. Their vision and mission were to impact the practice of therapeutic endoscopy through innovation in techniques and technologies. The concept of natural orifice surgery was introduced at the initial meeting held on Kiawah Island, South Carolina in 1998. The original concept of flexible endoscopic surgery involved per-oral passage of a flexible endoscope into the stomach followed by entrance into the peritoneal cavity via a gastrostomy.

Per-oral endoscopic myotomy: major advance in achalasia treatment and in endoscopic surgery.

Per-oral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) represents a natural orifice endoscopic surgery (NOTES) approach to laparoscopy Heller myotomy (LHM). POEM is arguably the most successful clinical application of NOTES. The growth of POEM from a single center in 2008 to approximately 60 centers worldwide in 2014 with several thousand procedures having been performed attests to the success of POEM. Initial efficacy, safety and acid reflux data suggest at least equivalence of POEM to LHM, the previous gold standard for achalasia therapy. Adjunctive techniques used in the West include impedance planimetry for real-time intraprocedural luminal assessment and endoscopic suturing for challenging mucosal defect closures during POEM. The impact of POEM extends beyond the realm of esophageal motility disorders as it is rapidly popularizing endoscopic submucosal dissection in the West and spawning offshoots that use the submucosal tunnel technique for a host of new indications ranging from resection of tumors to pyloromyotomy for gastroparesis.

Ever-changing endoscopic treatment for early gastric cancer: yesterday-today-tomorrow.

Endoscopic resection has been an optimal treatment for selected patients with early gastric cancer (EGC) based on advances in endoscopic instruments and techniques. As endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) has been widely used for treatment of EGC along with expanding ESD indication, concerns have been asked to achieve curative resection for EGC while guaranteeing precise prediction of lymph node metastasis (LNM). Recently, new techniques including ESD or endoscopic full-thickness resection combined with sentinel node navigation enable minimal tumor resection and a laparoscopic lymphadenectomy in cases of EGC with high risk of LNM. This review covers the development and challenges of endoscopic treatment for EGC. Moreover, a new microscopic imaging and endoscopic techniques for precise endoscopic diagnosis and minimally invasive treatment of EGC are introduced.

Correction of the deviated septum: from ancient Egypt to the endoscopic era.

BACKGROUND: Obstructed nasal breathing can occur due to deviation of the nasal septum. When the external nose appears grossly normal and cosmesis is not the focus, septoplasty has been the procedure used to straighten the septum with the goal of improving nasal airflow. Septoplasty has evolved over time. METHODS: A historical literature review was conducted to look for primary source journal articles and medical conferences proccedings addressing the evolution of the septoplasty procedure. RESULTS: Early techniques involved forcible fractures and splinting. Submucous resection was the first major advancement in surgical technique. Once the complications resulting from this technique were observed, it was subsequently revised with attempts to better address the caudal septal deviation. Attention was then turned to better incorporating the role surrounding support structures, such as the upper lateral cartilages. The premaxilla-maxilla approach attempted to address the overall nasal structure to best improve nasal breathing. The advent of endoscopic technique has been the most recent shift in surgical technique with improved visualization allowing for targeted septoplasty and reoperation on complicated cases including pituitary and skull base surgery. CONCLUSION: This paper discusses the evolution of septoplasty techniques over time from the initial undertakings of the ancient Egyptians to the modern-day septoplasty. While the principles behind septoplasty have remained much the same, experience has allowed for refinement of surgical technique. No doubt new instrumentations and innovations will further help to tailor the practice of septoplasty to the anatomy and functional needs of each individual patient.

The first human laparoscopy and NOTES operation: Dimitrij Oscarovic Ott (1855-1929).

Dimitrij Oscarovic Ott (1855-1929) can undoubtedly be called the true pioneer of laparoscopy, especially of natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery. In 1901 already he performed abdominal examinations via a transvaginal access calling this procedure 'ventroscopy'. In 1902 the publication of his first results, as well as a description of the method and the equipment used, were released. In addition to Georg Kelling (1866-1945) and Hans Christian Jacobaeus (1879-1937), he therefore was one of the pioneers of present-day laparoscopy. Whereas Kelling published and presented his first results of merely animal trials in 1901 and Jacobaeus performed his first interventions on humans only in 1910, Ott had already used his new method in clinical practice since 1901. By only one incision in the cul-de-sac and utilizing a head lamp system similar to reflector lamps used by otolaryngologists, he inspected the abdominal cavity making use of a gynecological speculum. The patient was positioned in an extreme head-down position; for better lighting he used an additional light source which was connected to the speculum. Nowadays in Russia Prof. Ott still is a legend, especially in St. Petersburg. He was the director of the National Institute of Obstetrics and the personal physician to Empress Aleksandra Fedorovna (1872-1918). He is regarded as the father of the Russian school of obstetrics and gynecology as well as the founder of endoscopic surgery and laparoscopy in Russia.

New trends in colorectal surgery: single port and natural orifice techniques.

Single-incision laparoscopic surgery (SILS) and natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) have rapidly gained pace worldwide, potentially replacing conventional laparoscopic surgery (CLS) as the preferred colorectal surgery technique. Currently available data mainly consist of retrospective series analyzed in four meta-analyses. Despite conflicting results and lack of an objective comparison, SILS appears to offer cosmetic advantages over CLS. However, due to conflicting results and marked heterogeneity, present data fail to show significant differences in terms of operative time, postoperative morbidity profiles, port-site complications rates, oncological appropriateness, duration of hospitalization or cost when comparing SILS with conventional laparoscopy for colorectal procedures. The application of "pure" NOTES in humans remains limited to case reports because of unresolved issues concerning the ideal access site, distant organ reach, spatial orientation and viscera closure. Alternatively, minilaparoscopy-assisted natural orifice surgery techniques are being developed. The transanal "down-to-up" total mesorectum excision has been derived for transanal endoscopic microsurgery (TEM) and represents the most encouraging NOTES-derived technique. Preliminary experiences demonstrate good oncological and functional short-term outcomes. Large-scale randomized controlled trials are now mandatory to confirm the long-term SILS results and validate transanal TEM for the application of NOTES in humans.

[Natural orifice translumenal endoscopic surgery: historical and future perspectives].

Natural orifice translumenal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) has gained much attention worldwide since the first report of transgastric peritoneoscopy in a porcine model in 2004. In this review, we summarize and highlight the current status and future directions of NOTES. Thousands of human NOTES procedures have been performed. The most common procedures are cholecystectomy and appendectomy, mainly performed through transvaginal access in a hybrid fashion with laparoscopic assistance, and the general complication rate is acceptable. Although much work is still needed to refine the techniques for NOTES, the development of NOTES has the potential to create a paradigm shift in minimally invasive surgery.

NOTES, hybrid NOTES, NOTES-assisted kidney surgery: what has been achieved so far?

With improved technologies and the development of new techniques, has emerged the concept of "scarless surgery" in an attempt to treat certain diseases obviating the need for incisions to access the peritoneal cavity, resulting in direct benefit to patients and assuming an improvement in quality of life and offering an advantage over conventional laparoscopy. Laparoendoscopic single-site surgery (LESS) and natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) are evolutions of laparoscopy, and they are complementary techniques that should be included in this new concept. NOTES is an emerging surgical modality that uses endoscopic instruments through hollow viscera to enter the peritoneal cavity and allow surgical procedures without incisions. The NOTES procedure may provide additional benefits when compared with current minimally invasive procedures. Potential advantages include no skin incisions, improved cosmetic result, reduced postoperative pain, diminished risk of postoperative hernias, and earlier recovery. NOTES surgery has still some inconvenient regarding instrumentals, viewing orientation, control of complications. Attempts to overcome the current limitations of the technique have given rise to the concept of hybrid NOTES, which is performed with the assistance of transabdominal ports for the use of conventional laparoscopy equipment. NOTES is a very promising technique although further investigation is necessary until implementing NOTES surgery in the common clinical practice.

NOTES: aplicaciones básicas y avanzadas fuera del campo urológico / Notes: basic and advanced surgical applications outside of the urological field

Ten years ago the American gastroenterologist Anthony Kalloo described for the first time the concept of Natural Orifice Transluminal Endoscopic Surgery - NOTES. His revolutionary vision generated such an unprecedented worldwide momentum of creativity and renovation in the surgical community to push the current limit of the research in the minimal invasive surgery field toward the unimaginable goal of non visible scar surgery. At present time several NOTES applications are continuously reported by many team sall around the world and the aim of the present paper was to illustrate the clinical evidence registered up to now as well as to inform about the ongoing research efforts made to perform non visible scar surgery to treat more complex surgical diseases(AU)

Hace diez años el gastroenterólogo americano Anthony Kalloo describió por primera vez el concepto de cirugía endoscópica transluminal por orificios naturales- NOTES. Su visión revolucionaria generó un impulso de creatividad y renovación en la comunidad quirúrgica mundial para empujar los límites actuales de la investigación en el campo de la cirugía mínimamente invasiva hacia el objetivo inimaginable de la cirugía sin cicatrices visibles. En el momento actual se está publicando continuamente, por muchos equipos de todo el mundo, varias aplicaciones de NOTES y el objetivo de este artículo es ilustrar la evidencia clínica registrada hasta el momento, así cómo informar sobre los esfuerzos de investigación en marcha hechos para realizar cirugía sin cicatrices visibles para tratar enfermedades quirúrgicas más complejas(AU)

Kidney removal: the past, presence, and perspectives: a historical review.

More than 140 years have passed since the first documented planned nephrectomy. Throughout all these years, people gained significant knowledge on the renal functions and diseases, and what is more, the surgical workshop underwent considerable improvement. Initially, the kidney removal operations were performed due to ureterovaginal fistulas and renal lithiasis. Later, they were executed mainly in patients with renal tumors, whereas today, the number of these surgeries tend to decrease to the benefit of nephron sparing procedures. Current nephrectomies are more and more often performed in case of organ donation, what will probably remain the most significant indication for the kidney removal in close future. While the first surgeries were executed with classical surgical methods, nowadays, after years of studies concerning nephron sparing and minimally invasive operations, we can see surgeries carried out through natural body orifices with robotic assistance. In relation to simple surgical operation based on ligation of 3 tubular anatomic structures, we can perceive the true scope of the progress that occurred in surgery. The aim of this article is to present the evolution of indications and operating techniques utilized to remove the kidney in chronological aspect.

NOTES. Historia y situación actual de la cirugía endoscópica por orificios naturales en nuestro país / NOTES. History and current situation of natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery in Spain

La cirugía endoscópica transluminal a través de orificios naturales (NOTES, del inglés Natural Orifice Translumenal Endoscopic Surgery), engloba un conjunto de nuevas vías de abordaje endoscópico de la cavidad abdominal, con ventajas potenciales sobre la cirugía laparoscópica convencional. Se fundamenta en la posibilidad de realizar técnicas quirúrgicas intraperitoneales mediante la entrada en la cavidad peritoneal a través de los orificios naturales perforando el órgano que permite la entrada directa a dicha cavidad (estómago, vagina, recto, vejiga). Posteriormente se ha postulado la posibilidad de este mismo acceso para acceder al retroperitoneo y al mediastino. A continuación se comenta como se ha desarrollado la técnica y cómo ha sido la aplicación en nuestro país, intentado dar una visión general sobre los riesgos y beneficios de la NOTES y las necesidades básicas para poder iniciarse en esta nueva cirugía (AU)

Natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES), involves a group of new endoscopic approaches to the abdominal cavity, with potential advantages over conventional laparoscopic surgery. It is based on the possibility of performing intra-peritoneal surgical techniques through natural orifices by entering the peritoneal cavity through natural orifices perforating the organ that allows direct access to that cavity (stomach, vagina, rectum, bladder). The possibility of using this same route to access the retroperitoneum and mediastinum has subsequently been postulated. Comments are made on how the technique has been developed, as well as how it has been applied in our country, attempting to give a general view on the risks and benefits of NOTES and the basic requirements to be able to start in this new surgery (AU)

[NOTES. History and current situation of natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery in Spain]. / NOTES. Historia y situación actual de la cirugía endoscópica por orificios naturales en nuestro país.

Natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES), involves a group of new endoscopic approaches to the abdominal cavity, with potential advantages over conventional laparoscopic surgery. It is based on the possibility of performing intra-peritoneal surgical techniques through natural orifices by entering the peritoneal cavity through natural orifices perforating the organ that allows direct access to that cavity (stomach, vagina, rectum, bladder). The possibility of using this same route to access the retroperitoneum and mediastinum has subsequently been postulated. Comments are made on how the technique has been developed, as well as how it has been applied in our country, attempting to give a general view on the risks and benefits of NOTES and the basic requirements to be able to start in this new surgery.