La chirurgie per-laparoscopique: mode passagère ou progrès?

Since the first laparoscopic cholecystectomy performed in 1987 by Philippe Mouret in Lyon (France), there has been a real revolution in the field of visceral surgery: more and more operations are performed by this mini-invasive surgical method: lithiasis of the common bile duct, Nissen and Heller procedure, truncal vagotomies, abdominal and thoracic, supra-selective vagotomies, hernia, appendectomy, band sections during intestinal occlusion, resection of the colon and rectum, oesophagectomies ... In Belgium, more than 3,000 cholecystectomies have been listed in a national registry in which the modalities and complications of this laparoscopic approach have been scrutinized. During the years to come, there will be an important technological development which will make this procedure easier, safer and quicker. Consequences of this new approach cannot completely be foreseen but there are some drawbacks: possible simplification of well established surgical techniques in order to facilitate the laparoscopic approach, causing a deterioration of the long term results, teaching and training difficulties for young and older surgeons, very costly equipment.