Transvaginal surgery for GI procedures may be the new minimally invasive standard. It takes some getting used to the idea:
The idea, he says, is to offer patients operations with less pain and fewer visible scars.And the notion makes sense. Such procedures would allow surgeons to avoid cutting through a patient’s abdominal wall, which contains a bounty of nerves and takes time to heal.
“The advances are decreased scars “” and eventually no scars “” decreased pain and quicker recovery,” Bessler said.
But critics say the idea of conducting surgery through the vagina is simply too revolting to gain wide appeal.
“To put something like that through the vagina “” I just think it is crude, and there aren’t many things that should be going in and out of the vagina,” said Christine Ren, assistant professor at New York University’s school of medicine. “I don’t think a gallbladder should be, or those instruments.”
Sid Schwab comments:
So we’re talking, according to the rationale, about lessening something already pretty minimal. Moreover, since it’s literally impossible completely to sterilize the mouth, rectum, or vagina, any procedure done through them will necessarily introduce organisms into the abdominal cavity. A small number may not always be significant. Still, it’s of concern. And the hole that’s made needs to be sealed back up safely, especially one in the stomach or colon. Finally there’s this: these procedures take longer and afford a less-good view of the target area, unless at least one or two holes are made in the abdomen anyway. That’s what was done in the vaginal operation.
