Natural orifice translumenal endoscopic surgery (NOTES): current status and challenges.
OBJECTIVE
To give a conceptual description of natural orifice translumenal endoscopic surgery (NOTES), review the early efforts in the NOTES field, and discuss its challenges and limitations.


METHODS
The data were retrieved mainly from publications listed in MEDLINE, PubMed and China Wanfang Database from 2005 to 2009. The search term was "NOTES".


METHODS
The articles involved in the "NOTES" study were selected and the review articles were excluded from the comparison.


RESULTS
A marked increase in quantity in articles was shown each year for NOTES studies from 2006 to 2009. Animal experiments with "NOTES" have been carried out in China from 2007, and two independent "NOTES" procedures on humans were reported in 2009.


CONCLUSIONS
Although still in its infancy, the "NOTES" procedure is promising as another type of minimally invasive surgery and favorable alternative to current interventions.
Zhang
Xiu-li
XL
Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China.
Yang
Yun-sheng
YS
Sun
Gang
G
Guo
Ming-zhou
MZ
D016145:Endoscopy, Digestive System / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D019060:Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*