Revolutionizing Surgery: Appendix Removal Through the Mouth

[Ivan Seeking]

The headline sounds like something from a script for a horror movie!

ScienceDaily (Mar. 17, 2008) — On Wednesday, March 12, 2008, surgeons at UC San Diego Medical Center performed what is believed to be the country's first removal of a diseased appendix through the mouth. This clinical trial procedure received approval for a limited number of patients by UC San Diego's Institutional Review Board (IRB) which oversees clinical research.

..."UC San Diego's Center for the Future of Surgery is advancing scarless techniques by investigating, developing, testing, and teaching procedures that will revolutionize the field of surgery," said Horgan, president of the Minimally Invasive Robotics Association and a global leader in scarless procedures.

"Only one small incision to insert a small camera in the belly button was required to complete the surgery versus three incisions required for a laparoscopic procedure," said Horgan. "The patient was discharged 20 hours after surgery and is now reporting minimal pain which is a goal for all of our patients."[continued]

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080317093904.htm

 

[hypatia]

Reading this almost triggered my gag reflex, but honestly, I wonder why they didn't do this sooner. It really makes sense, more so in the area of pain and healing.

 

[Moonbear]

Hmm...I'm wondering if making an incision through someone's stomach is necessarily better than going in through the abdomen? I'd kind of worry that it would allow more chance of contaminants from the digestive tract out into the peritoneal cavity to cause infection, or leave a patient with later stomach ulcers. Sure, the pain might be less, but does that necessarily mean it's better? I guess they'll have to see how it turns out long-term for these patients if it's really as beneficial as it seems initially. Afterall, I'd rather have some initial post-operative pain over long-term complications due to weakening the stomach wall.

Nonetheless, it's good to see them thinking about finding better approaches to improve post-operative recovery.

 

[Larium]

On March 26, 2008, surgeons at UC San Diego Medical Center removed an inflamed appendix through a patient's vagina. An additional incision was made through the belly button for the purpose of inserting a two millimeter camera into the abdominal cavity.

 

[mgb_phys]

On March 26, 2008, surgeons at UC San Diego Medical Center removed an inflamed appendix through a patient's vagina. An additional incision was made through the belly button for the purpose of inserting a two millimeter camera into the abdominal cavity.

Was this deliberate or was the operating table just the wrong way round?

 

[Moonbear]

Was this deliberate or was the operating table just the wrong way round?

It's deliberate, and makes more sense than going through the stomach. Other gynecological surgical procedures are performed that way, and it does help minimize recovery time. Though, it's obviously not a very good approach if you're male.

 

[JayR]

I'm with you Moonbear, I know it's a risk with any abdo surgery, but the headline the op posted made me think peritonitis.