Muhammad Iqbal.
Future of Minimally Invasive Surgery in Pakistan.
Rawal Med J Jan ;33(2):130.

Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) has revolutionized the management of surgical disorders in a very short period of time. It has moved the focus of surgery towards reducing the morbidity without compromising on the quality of healthcare. After conceiving the idea of this novel surgical approach by a German surgeon, George Kelling in 1901, it took almost a century to leap forward to the therapeutic stage when laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) was performed first by two French surgeons, Phillipe Mouret in 1987 followed by Dubois in 1988.1 Thanks to the advent of new instruments, LC rapidly replaced open cholecystectomy as a procedure of choice.2 The initial period of enthusiasm for this novel procedure was followed by an era of concern characterized by increasing rate of reported complications in different surgical procedures. Studies showed that the laparoscopic approach posed a problem of much greater complexity than open access, requiring more sophisticated instrumental armamentarium.3 Inspite of these concerns, LC had a shorter hospital stay, decreased post-operative pain and early return to work and daily life.4,5 Despite these promising results LC was still regarded as a challenge for those who had zeal for this field of surgery.6 With availability of improved instruments and refining of techniques, laparoscopic approach has expanded its applications from comparatively simple procedures such as cholecystectomy and appendectomy to major intra abdominal, urological a number of gynecologic procedures7 with list growing day by day. This is a review article. (Rawal Med J 2008;33:130).

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