title: Laparoscopic assisted transvaginal cholecystectomy: single centre preliminary experience.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Natural Orifice Transluminal Endoscopic Surgery (NOTES) is a new approach that allows abdominal surgery to be performed through a natural orifice such as the oral cavity, vagina or rectum. We present our preliminary experience of laparoscopic assisted transvaginal cholecystectomy (LATC).
  
  
  METHODS
  Women affected by cholelithiasis, age below 65 years, BMI under 30, ASA I or II, previous full-term pregnancies, and without previous abdominal surgery underwent LATC. Patients' biographic data, operative time, intraoperative and postoperative complications were collected.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We performed 21 LATCs. Median operative time was 58 min. There were no intraoperative complications. The postoperative course was uneventful in all patients. At 1 year there were no complications and no impaired sexual activity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of NOTES are promising, but currently only hybrid NOTES can be safely performed. LATC seems to guarantee better cosmetic results, less postoperative pain, faster mobilization and shorter hospitalization than laparoscopic cholecystectomy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences and Translational Medicine, St. Andrea Hospital, School of Medicine and Psychology, University Sapienza of Rome, Rome, Italy. onedaysurgery-info@yahoo.it
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brescia
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Masoni
authors.forename: Marcello
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gasparrini
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nigri
authors.forename: Umile Michele
authors.initials: UM
authors.lastname: Cosenza
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dall'Oglio
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pancaldi
authors.forename: Francesco Saverio
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Mari
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017081:Cholecystectomy, Laparoscopic / Q000379:methods*; D002769:Cholelithiasis / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D057605:Natural Orifice Endoscopic Surgery / Q000379:methods*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014621:Vagina