The evolution of natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) in colon & rectal surgery

In colorectal surgery, a promising area for minimally-invasive practice is that of natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES). In this chapter, we focus on transanal total mesorectal excision (taTME), which represents the most ubiquitous application of NOTES within colorectal surgery currently. We also touch on the resurgence of natural orifice specimen extraction (NOSE) as well as other future applications of NOTES in colorectal surgery.