Doctors in New York have removed a woman's gall bladder vaginally with minimal external incisions.
New York Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center says the surgery, which was conducted using a flexible endoscope, is part of an ongoing clinical research trial.
The endoscope was inserted through the patient's vaginal wall and into her body cavity. The gallbladder was detached and removed through the vagina, which was then sutured, the hospital said in a release.
Doctors say the advantages of the procedure are reduced pain, quicker recovery time and absence of visible scarring.
"Internal incisions, such as in the vaginal wall, are less painful and may allow for quicker recovery than incisions in the abdominal wall," said Dr. Marc Bessler, who led the surgery.
Bessler is presenting the procedure Sunday at the the annual meeting of the Society of American Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Surgeons in Las Vegas.
Copyright 2007 by United Press International
