Natural Orifice Translumenal Endoscopic Surgery - NOSCAR

NOSCAR

Senior leadership from the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) and the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES) organized a working group of surgeons and gastroenterologists in 2006 to develop standards for the practice of this emerging technique. This group is known as the Natural Orifice Surgery Consortium for Assessment and Research (NOSCAR). A White Paper on NOTES was released by NOSCAR simultaneously in two medical journals in May 2006. This paper identified the major areas of research needed to be addressed before NOTES can become a viable clinical application for human patient. These areas included development of a reliable closure technique for the internal incision, prevention of infection, and creation of advanced endoscopic surgical tools.

NOTES as defined by the NOSCAR group stands for "Natural Orifice Translumenal Endoscopic Surgery". This describes going beyond the margins of a lumen (=hollow organ). There is a controversy about the correct spelling of "translumenal" in NOTES whether with a terminal "e" or an "i". Even if both forms (lumenal/luminal) are used, the "i" is probably more correct. Analogies are found with nomen, foramen or abdomen which build the corresponding adjective form with an "i" (nominal, foraminal, abdominal).