Laparoscopic Instrumentation and Basic Techniques

Abstract

The initial success of laparoscopic cholecystectomy has stimulated surgeons and engineers to design instrument systems and surgical procedures with ever increasing clarity and complexity. Once consigned only to the gallbladder, the laparoscope has now been applied to nearly every organ system in the abdomen, chest, and mediastinum. New instrumentation is being designed and introduced at an exponential rate. In order to perform safe and effective procedures, surgeons must familiarize themselves with the application as well as the potential drawbacks of these new tools. The purpose of this chapter is to provide general guidelines for the use of laparoscopic and thoracoscopic instrumentation and to describe the more recent developments currently at the forefront of videoscopic surgery.