POEM and LHM appear to have similar perioperative outcomes. Further investigation is needed regarding long-term results after POEM.

In this series, overall procedure time did not decrease with experience and may not be an important marker of procedural skill for POEM. Prior endoscopic treatment, longer symptom duration, and esophageal dilatation may result in increased operative difficulty during POEM.

NOTES is most commonly performed using a hybrid, transvaginal approach. Although some aspects of these procedures appear to be well standardized, there is still significant variability in technique. More outcomes data with standardized reporting are needed to determine the actual risks and benefits of NOTES.

In this series, POEM resulted in greater than 90% symptomatic treatment success at mean 15-month follow-up. Rates of iatrogenic gastroesophageal reflux, as measured both by symptoms and 24-h pH monitoring, appeared to be on par with recent studies of patients undergoing laparoscopic Heller myotomy and pneumatic dilation.

SILS™ is more technically challenging than standard laparoscopic surgery. Using currently available SILS™ platforms and instruments, even surgeons with SILS™ experience are unable to match their overall LAP performance. Specialized training curricula should be developed for inexperienced surgeons who wish to perform SILS™.

Since the first description of the concept of natural orifice translumenal endoscopic surgery (NOTES), a substantial number of clinical NOTES reports have appeared in the literature. This editorial reviews the available human data addressing research questions originally proposed by the white paper, including determining the optimal method of access for NOTES, developing safe methods of lumenal closure, suturing and anastomotic devices, advanced multitasking platforms, addressing the risk of infection, managing complications, addressing challenges with visualization, and training for NOTES procedures. An analysis of the literature reveals that so far transvaginal access and closure appear to be the most feasible techniques for NOTES, with a limited, but growing transgastric, transrectal, and transesophageal NOTES experience in humans. The theoretically increased risk of infection as a result of NOTES procedures has not been substantiated in transvaginal and transgastric procedures so far. Development of suturing and anastomotic devices and advanced platforms for NOTES has progressed slowly, with limited clinical data on their use so far. Data on the optimal management and incidence of intraoperative complications remain sparse, although possible factors contributing to complications are discussed. Finally, this editorial discusses the likely direction of future NOTES development and its possible role in clinical practice.

No abstract

This series adds to the existing evidence that transvaginal hybrid NOTES cholecystectomy using a flexible endoscope for dissection is a technically feasible and safe procedure. TVC requires a longer operative time than LC but may result in less pain in the immediate postoperative period with patients subsequently requiring fewer narcotics.