Equal opportunity surgery

[Guest guest]

Gads, I just had to pass this along. Looks like woman could have their GB

removed through their vagina and men though their mouth!!!! Wow, incredible.

This was on www.foxnews.com

Surgeons Remove Gallbladder Through Patient's Vagina

Friday, September 14, 2007

Surgeons at the University of California, San Diego Medical Center successfully

removed a patient's gallbladder through her vagina.

The procedure was the first clinical trial surgery in the Southwest to evaluate

the safety and effectiveness of performing abdominal procedures through the

body's natural openings.

The UCSD Medical Center procedure involved removing the gallbladder through the

patient's vagina without traditional incisions through the skin. One small

incision through the naval was needed to help guide the surgeon.

The procedure, called Natural Orifice Translumenal Endoscopic Surgery (NOTES),

involves passing surgical instruments and a tiny camera through a natural

orifice, such as the mouth or the vagina, to the desired organ.

By avoiding major incisions through the skin, muscle, and nerves of the abdomen,

patients may experience a quicker recovery with less pain and scarring while

reducing the risk of post operative hernias, according to a new release.

Drs. Santiago Horgan and Mark A. Talamini, chairman of the Department of Surgery

at UC San Diego Medical Center performed the surgery on a 42-year-old San Diego

resident. Her gallbladder was removed through the vagina during a 1.5-hour

procedure.

A total of four patients will be recruited for the clinical trial. One more

female patient will have her gallbladder removed through the vagina and two

patients will have the organ extraction performed through the mouth.