Natural orifice translumenal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) second-look peritoneoscopy for staging of limited peritoneal carcinomatosis.

BACKGROUND

Over the past decades, staging laparoscopy evolved as a useful tool in multimodality treatment of patients with abdominal malignancies, especially for detection of incurable peritoneal and liver metastasis. Natural orifice translumenal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) is a new, evolving technique which represents the next logical progression in minimally invasive surgery and has theoretical advantages in comparison with standard laparoscopic surgery. A review of the current literature revealed a continuous increasing number of fundamental and clinical studies addressing NOTES approach in multimodal management of oncologic patients. Technical possibility to use this new minimally invasive approach for oncological resection of abdominal malignancies was proved by some investigators.

HYPOTHESIS

NOTES can be used as an alternative method for staging patients with limited peritoneal carcinomatosis and may have better results compared to current imaging techniques for small diameter metastatic disease.

CONCLUSIONS

With the continuous development of the NOTES techniques and technology, the second-look peritoneoscopy by NOTES may become an alternative method for staging in patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis. Nevertheless, NOTES is at a very early stage of its development, and its implementation in oncologic surgery should be made very caution, and only after careful evaluation.