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NOTES conference "exceeds expectations"

The 2nd International NOTES conference held in Boston July 13-14 drew close to 400 doctors and medical professionals, with the attendance and number of presentations exceeding all expectations of organizers.

NOTES stands for natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery, which is an extension of minimally invasive surgery. The technique associated with NOTES involves using the mouth and other natural orifices for accessing the abdomen with medical tools.

Most work has been done on pigs thus far, but many doctors at the conference said that the day is coming when such techniques will be used on their patients.

CIMIT began funding the idea about five years ago with its award support to Christopher Thompson, MD, MHES, of Brigham and Women's Hospital, and David Rattner, MD, of Massachusetts General Hospital, two doctors pursuing minimally invasive surgery. Drs. Thompson and Rattner are among those leading the national drive to learn more about NOTES techniques and to share information with colleagues.

Dr. Thompson was a chairman of the live-demonstration panel at the conference. Actual NOTES procedures were performed in porcine models at a hands-on lab. Dr. Thompson was also a presenter. He led a working group on the topic of "Spatial orientation/intra-abdominal navigation."

The conference offered scores of presentations and discussions from doctors around the world. NOTES techniques are designed to limit pain, infection and length of hospital stay.

"The growth of interest in NOTES has exceeded all expectations since our meeting last year," said Dr. Rattner as he addressed the standing-room-only opening gathering at the Westin Copley Place Hotel.

"We have attendees from Europe, Asia, India, and, of course, many states. One of our key goals continues to be sharing information."

The conference was a joint initiative supported by the American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) and the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES).

Drs. Thompson and Rattner are members of the Natural Orifice Surgery Consortium for Assessment and Research (NOSCAR), a joint effort of ASGE and SAGES.