Transgastric surgery, or natural orifice translumenal endosurgery (NOTES), as it is officially known, involves passing flexible surgical tools and a camera in through the patient's mouth to reach the abdominal cavity via an incision made in the stomach lining. Once the operation is over, the surgeon draws any removed tissue back out through the patient's mouth and stitches up the hole in the stomach.
The benefits are less scarring, less pain, and less chance of infection. The downside is that it may leave a bad taste in your mouth. Link -via Cynical-C
Maybe not much has changed, although I don't really think we'll be seeing brain surgery through the nose anytime soon.
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Or maybe we will!
I wonder why it wouldn't be easier just to go in through the other end ... shorter distance, isn't it? And no bad taste there ;)