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Scar-Free Surgery Procedures Explored
As for abdominal surgery, a few procedures have been done in people, but nearly all the research so far has been in animals. There are still plenty of questions and barriers to overcome.
For example, Rattner said, new tools must be developed to perform this kind of surgery. And while it makes sense that people would recover faster from natural-opening surgery than laparoscopic procedures, that hasn't been proven yet, Rattner said.
  In this photo provided by the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Dr. Carl Snyderman, right, uses an endoscope to view the patient's brain while Dr. Amin Kassam removes a brain tumor through the nose, using special instruments designed for this surgery at the Pittsburgh hospital in September 2006. (AP Photo/Courtesy UPMC) (AP) REPORTER'S QUERY The Washington Post is looking for challenging medical cases--ones that have been resolved but in which the patient's symptoms were puzzling to doctors or suggested an immediate diagnosis that would have been wrong.
Patients must have medical records documenting their care, and must be willing to share them with a reporter. Please include day and evening phone numbers and an e-mail address. E-mail medicalmysteries@washpost.com with your name and details. Please put "Medical Mystery" in the subject line.In Depth
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Then there's the basic question of just what abdominal procedures make sense for a natural-opening approach. For women, Bessler believes the gall bladder and appendix will be among those that will be removed through the vagina.
Rattner questions whether a natural-opening approach for removing those organs offers enough of an improvement over laparoscopy _ which can get a patient back to work in four to seven days _ to make it worthwhile.
He sees more potential for procedures that replace surgeries that can keep a person out of work for weeks, like removing a kidney, adrenal gland or a portion of the intestine. Or doing obesity surgery.
"It's not going to replace laparoscopic surgery, but it's going to have a niche somewhere," Rattner said. "We're trying to figure out where that niche is going to be."
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On the Net:
Abdominal surgery via natural openings: http:/
