Message from the 17th organizer

My name is Kazuki Sumiyama from the Department of Endoscopic Medicine at Tokyo Jikei University School of Medicine, and I am honored to have been appointed as the current organizer for the 17th J-CASE (Japan Consortium for Advanced Surgical Endoscopy). This is the second time we have the privilege of hosting this conference at our department, the first being under Professor Hisao Tajiri for the 2nd J-CASE.

J-CASE began in 2007 as the NOTES (Natural Orifice Transluminal Endoscopic Surgery) Society. It has been ten years since it was renamed to the Japan Consortium for Advanced Surgical Endoscopy at the 8th meeting. At the time of its inception, NOTES gained international attention, starting with the 2006 report by Kalloo and colleagues from the United States on transgastric cholecystectomy in animal experiments, and the first clinical case of transgastric appendectomy performed by Rao and Reddy in India in 2007. Our society, as a leading nation in gastrointestinal endoscopy and endoscopic surgery, was driven by a passionate sense of urgency to not fall behind in this field, which fueled the excitement around the conference.

However, despite the initial promise of NOTES in terms of reduced pain and improved cosmesis, technical challenges such as secure closure of gastrointestinal perforations meant that this approach took a backseat as a method for operating on organs within the peritoneal and thoracic cavities. Nevertheless, the appeal of delivering a flexible endoscope through the gastrointestinal tract to perform minimally invasive endoluminal interventions near both intra- and extra-luminal lesions remains undiminished. In fact, with advancements in closure techniques and robotics, the technical hurdles faced during the early days of NOTES are gradually being overcome.

I believe that the attempt at NOTES was a wave of the times that transcended the boundaries between medicine and surgery, as well as the walls of the gastrointestinal tract, creating a new integrated field. The catchphrase for this conference, "Endoscopy Beyond," reflects our desire to carry forward the spirit of the NOTES Society and seek presentations that break through the current framework of endoscopy. We aim to discuss innovative endoscopic treatments such as full-thickness resection, GERD treatment, and bariatric therapy, as well as technological innovations like AI and robotics. Moreover, we seek to gather the collective wisdom of both endoscopists and surgeons, along with industry and academia, to address creative approaches to difficult and rare cases.

We are working diligently to ensure this conference is meaningful for all participants. We warmly welcome young doctors, the future leaders, and hope to have as many participants as possible join us.