Endoscopic surgery removes infected appendix through vagina

Coimbatore, Oct 12 (UNI) A city-based hospital has removed an infected appendix by way of endoscopic surgery through the vagina of a 48-year-old woman on an outpatient basis.

''As we have done several difficult surgeries like gallbladder stone removal through Endoscopy successfully for other patients, the removal of infected appendix is relatively easy through vagina 'Natural Orifice Transluminal Endoscopy Surgery' (NOTES),'' claimed Gem Hospital Director Dr C .Palanivelu.

He said the patient Mrs. Sharada (name changed) was referred to the Gem Hospital for the complaints of severe stomach pain for two days. During routine investigation, it was found that the woman was suffering from an infected appendix. After counselling, the woman underwent this new procedure and was discharged after a few hours as an outpatient. In the earlier technique, the surgery was performed through laparoscopy with three trocars, which entails small scars in the abdomen of the woman. But in this new technique not only there is no scar on the abdomen; there is no need for general anesthesia to the patient, thereby reducing cost. Besides, there is no bleeding while removing the diseased appendix. Thus the patient can go home after a few hours of the surgery, he added.

Dr Palanivelu said the research on developing new endoscopic procedures called NOTES had started on animal model two years back. After gaining successful experience in this technique from animal model, it was decided to perform on the human being by taking all precautionary measures. ''We have done this procedure successfully to remove gallbladder stone in eight patients through vagina and now started using this procedure for the removal of infected appendix as well'' he added.

Hospital senior specialists Dr P S Rajan said the research is going on with the animal model to remove the gallbladder stone and diseases appendix using endoscopy through mouth.

''Our operative technique was shown at international congresses at Boston, US and Beijing. Our experience of these procedures has been sent to international journals for publication. The videos of these new procedures will be shown at Laparosurg 2007, which is our conference on laparoscopic surgery where more than 1000 surgeons from India and abroad are participating.'' Since there is no specific instrument available till now, GEM Hospital&Mumbai based Indian company are jointly developing new instruments for this purpose.

A team of doctors led by Dr. C. Palanivelu, Dr. P.S. Rajan, Dr.

Mohan Prasad has done this procedure successfully.

UNI