Natural Orifice Transluminal Endoscopic Surgery (NOTES)-an Emerging Technique in Surgery

Natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES), which utilises natural anatomical passages for gaining access to the intra-abdominal organs for surgical interventions, that result in scarless surgery, is a recent advancement in the specialty of minimally invasive surgery and has gained significant momentum, It has been postulated as a promising alternative to laparoscopic surgery in the fi eld of minimal invasive surgery. Signifi cant advantages over conventional open surgery, such as less postoperative pain, a shorter hospital stay, early return to activity, avoidance of woundrelated complications and better cosmesis have been demonstrated. This article provides an update in the development, principles, practice and future applications of NOTES. Keywords: natural orifice, minimally invasive, scarless, endoscopic surgery