Assessing the invasiveness of NOTES perforated viscus repair: A comparative study of NOTES and laparoscopy

Background Natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) repair of perforated peptic ulcers may decrease surgical invasiveness and improve patient outcomes. Methods Full thickness gastrotomy was created laparoscopically in swine followed by soilage time. Repair proceeded with a laparoscopic (n = 14) or the NOTES (n = 14) approach. For NOTES repair, the omentum was endoscopically pulled into the gastric lumen and clipped. Intraoperative and postoperative parameters were recorded, including arterial blood gas (ABG) analysis and serum samples for white blood cell (WBC), TNF-α, IL-1, and IL-6 analysis. Results Twenty-four of 28 animals thrived to study completion. NOTES repair could not be accomplished in one animal. At necropsy, all repairs were intact. Blood pressure was equivalent between groups. Pulse examined during the last 30 min of each procedure revealed a slightly higher mean pulse in the animals undergoing NOTES procedures (NOTES, 102 ± 28; laparoscopy, 83 ± 24). ABG obtained at the conclusion of the procedure revealed a pH of 7.47 in NOTES animals and 7.43 in the laparoscopy animals (p = 0.06), a change from baseline in both groups. The final pCO₂ was lower in the NOTES group (NOTES, 40.62; laparoscopy, 47.49, p = 0.03). WBC counts were comparable on postoperative day (POD) 1 (NOTES, 21.1; laparoscopy, 19.0; p = 0.49). Mean TNF-α serum levels were equivalent at all time points between groups; however, TNF-α varied significantly from baseline to POD 7 (p = 0.002). Conclusion NOTES omental repair appears comparable to that of laparoscopy. The lower arterial pCO₂ at the conclusion of the NOTES procedure may be advantageous in critically ill patients.