PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Jan Baekelandt AU - Jan Bosteels TI - Hysterectomy through the looking glass: iHysterectomy frugal by iPhone AID - 10.1136/bmjinnov-2016-000132 DP - 2017 Apr 01 TA - BMJ Innovations PG - 71--75 VI - 3 IP - 2 4099 - http://innovations.bmj.com/content/3/2/71.short 4100 - http://innovations.bmj.com/content/3/2/71.full SO - BMJ Innov2017 Apr 01; 3 AB - This study aims to demonstrate the feasibility of a frugal approach to an endoscopic hysterectomy: the iHysterectomy. An iPhone with endoscope-i adaptor and a portable light source were used instead of a laparoscopic camera, video processor, monitor and light source. A vaginally assisted natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) hysterectomy (VANH) was performed by Poor Man's NOTES technique using a self-constructed glove port and standard reusable instruments. Ten iHysterectomies were successfully performed by a single surgeon (JBa). No conversion to a laparoscopic tower, standard multi incision laparoscopy, or laparotomy was necessary. Mean operation time was 52 min (40–75); mean serum haemoglobin drop was 0.8 g/dL (0.2–2.1). There were no operative complications, and postoperative pain scores were low. The iHysterectomy technique enables surgeons to perform a minimally invasive hysterectomy in a low-resource setting without the need to invest in a laparoscopic tower. The investment required for endoscopic hardware is a fraction of that for conventional laparoscopy or robotic surgery. This is an Idea Development Exploration Assessment Long-term (IDEAL) stage 1 study: iHysterectomy is a novel approach requiring further validation. This is the first report on the use of an iPhone to perform a hysterectomy or any other major operation.