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Novare Surgical Systems announced today the successful completion of an appendix removal performed using its RealHand HD instruments. Two surgeons from the UC San Diego Medical Center removed an inflamed appendix through a patient’s vagina, a first in the U.S.
Only one incision was made through the belly button to accommodate a two millimeter camera in the abdominal cavity. The patient reported only minor discomfort following the 50-minute procedure.
Dubbed Natural Orifice Translumenal Endoscopic Surgery or NOTES, Novare believes that by avoiding major incisions through the abdomen, patients may experience a quicker recovery with less pain while reducing the risk of post operative hernias.
Dr. Santiago Horgan, director of the UC San Diego Center for the Future of Surgery, has performed 14 of these scarless NOTES procedures in the U.S. and Argentina. The procedure received approval for a limited number of patients by UC San Diego’s Institutional Review Board which oversees clinical research.Unlike standard laparoscopic instrumentation, Novare’s RealHand HD offers a more complete range of motion. RealHand technology is designed to mirror the surgeon’s hand direction with the added benefit of tactile feedback. The instruments have received FDA 510(k) clearance.
