001, see Figure 1 for importance). Similarly, as BMI increased, the importance of abdominal scars significantly first decreased (P < 0.001, Figure 2.) Figure 1 Importance of scars by age category. Percentages are within total sample. Figure 2 Importance of scars by body mass index category. Percentages are within weight category. Table 3 Associations between patient characteristics and opinions. Please see the appendix for detailed responses. Scales are scored from 1�C5, with 1 representing no importance, bother, interest, or no increased acceptable risk; 5 = extremely important, ... 3.2. Interest in Scarless Surgery and Acceptance of Complication Rates The majority (83%) had at least some interest in a surgery that would leave no scars. The two younger groups were more interested than those over 50 years (P = 0.

001), with those between 30 and 49 years remaining the most interested in the face of increased risk (P = 0.036). The two younger groups were comfortable with a risk up to 10%, while the older group was more conservative and was more comfortable with a risk close to 5% (P = 0.003). There were also gender differences in the level of interest, with women expressing more interest than men (P = 0.021). This difference disappeared when the question of risk was added (P = 0.192), although the women tended to accept an increased risk of close to 10%, while the men were closer to 5% (P = 0.059). Level of interest in NOTES was not significantly related to BMI, nor was acceptance of increased rate of complication, or the amount of acceptable risk.

However, for all three questions, those at a healthy weight had the highest scores, suggesting more interest and less concern about risk. Those without previous abdominal scars were more interested in NOTES than those with scars (P = 0.049), but both groups lost interest when presented with increased risk. The presence of other scars had little association with the responses to the three questions. 3.3. Research into NOTES Over 80% of respondents felt that research into scarless surgery was of some importance, with 30.4% rating it as quite or extremely important. With age as a continuous variable, the Spearman correlation suggested a negative but significant association (rho = ?.205, P < 0.001); using the categorical variable, those in the age group of 30�C49 years rated research as more important than the younger or older groups (P = 0.

040). BMI was also negatively and significantly associated with importance when using the continuous variable (rho = ?.149, P = 0.009), but fell just short of significance when using the categorical variable (P = 0.066), although it was the healthy weight Entinostat group that was more likely to rate it as important. Women rated it as more important than men, although it fell short of significance (P = 0.084). Presence of abdominal or other scars had little association with the ratings of importance. 3.4.