Rapid communication - Robot-assisted NOTES nephrectomy: Initial report

Background and Purpose: Natural Orifice Transluminal Endoscopic Surgery (NOTES) using the daVinci robot (Intuitive Surgical, Sunnyvale, CA) has never been applied to urologic surgery. Here we present our initial experience with a combined transvaginal and transcolonic, single-port, robot-assisted NOTES nephrectomy. Methods: An acute experiment was performed in a female farm pig. A single 12-mm trocar was placed in the midline, and two 12-mm standard laparoscopic ports were placed into the abdomen via the vagina and the colon. The robotic ports were then telescoped into the 12-mm ports, and the daVinci S robot was docked. Dissection was performed using the Hot Shears (TM) and the ProGrasp (TM) instruments. The robotic camera was placed via the midline port and held by an assistant. Using the 12-mm transvaginal port, the renal artery and vein were divided separately with a vascular Endo GIA (TM) (US Surgical, Norwalk, CT) stapler. The kidney was placed into a 10-mm entrapment sack and removed intact via the vagina. Results: Total operative time was 150 minutes. Estimated blood loss was less than 50 mL. No intraoperative complications occurred. Conclusion: A robot-assisted NOTES nephrectomy was accomplished in a porcine model using the daVinci S robot. Additional testing on survival animals is necessary to further explore this approach.