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Flexible endoscope–based endoluminal and transgastric surgery for cholecystectomy, appendectomy, bariatric, and antireflux procedures show promise as a less invasive form of surgery. Current endoscopes and instruments are inadequate to perform such complex surgeries for a variety of reasons: they are too flexible and are insufficient to provide robust grasping and anatomic retraction. The lack of support for a retroflexed endoscope in the peritoneal cavity makes it hard to reach remote structures and makes vigorous retraction of tissues and organs difficult. There is also a need for multiple channels in scopes to allow use of several instruments and to provide traction/countertraction. Finally, secure means of tissue approximation are critical. The aim was to develop and test a new articulating flexible endoscopic system for endoluminal and transgastric endosurgery. A multidisciplinary group of gastrointestinal …