Background: Natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES), a new frontier of minimally invasive surgery, uses the body's natural orifices to create an access for surgical procedures. This study aimed to verify the technical feasibility of ileorectal bypass performed entirely through a transanal access.
Methods: The procedure was performed on 10 domestic pigs, after which they were killed. A transanal endoscopic microsurgery (TEM) device and endoscopic and laparoscopic instruments were used.
Results: The findings demonstrated that an ileorectal bypass through a transanal access is feasible. The principal steps of a standardized transanal procedure are as follows: confirm a rectal perforation above the peritoneal reflection, perform peritoneoscopy using a standard gastroscope, grasp the small bowel with retrieval forceps and pull it through the rectal hole, suture the ileum and the rectum together using a TEM device, open the ileal loop, and perform endoscopic exploration. Satisfactory anastomosis and no signs of procedure-related complications were confirmed by a post procedure laparotomy.
Conclusions: Ileorectal bypass through a transanal access is technically feasible in a porcine model, and although still at an experimental stage, it could become a surgical option for treating some types of colonic strictures.