[Rocketfan]

Surgeons have removed a man's appendix through his mouth in a radical world first.

The pioneering operation - dubbed "cakehole surgery" - means no unsightly scars, and the patient was doing sit-ups three days afterwards.

Today, doctors released the first pictures of the bizarre-looking procedure on Jeff Scholz, which was undertaken using miniaturised surgical tools.

It is hoped this new approach could slash waiting times, cut down on infection and reduce post-operative pain.

Doctors say Mr Scholz, 42, an ex-US marine, has made a speedier recovery than he would have done with standard keyhole surgery.

Surgeons at the University of California San Diego Medical Centre threaded tiny instruments, including a camera, down Mr Scholz's throat. After emptying his stomach they cut into its lining to cut away the inflamed appendix. The rogue organ was placed in a bag and pulled back up though Mr Scholz's stomach and throat and out of his mouth.

Amazingly, he was discharged after just 17 hours in hospital and claimed to be back at work the day after.

Mr Scholz said: "I was eating pizza and doing sit-ups three days later. You'd think the way it was done, going through the stomach wall, I'd have stomach pains, but there was nothing."

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/arti ... article.do

[kel varson]

I love how the call the inflamed appendix a "Rogue organ."

[sweetnahmah1]

HAHAHA Colbert was talking about this on his show. It was hilarious. He was like, I hate getting a root canal through my mouth, next time I'll get it through my butt so I can bite the dentist during the operation.

[matshark]

the "cake hole" surgery...

guess now you can lose ur cake and eat it too?