Minimally invasive surgery.

In 1987, Mouret performed the first laparoscopic cholecystectomy - dramatically changing the history of surgical practice. No other aspect of surgery has developed with such vigor as laparoscopy. Previously, surgeons had attempted to define the maximum level of surgical intervention a patient could withstand - but as laparoscopic surgery developed, this paradigm was turned on its head. Minimally invasive surgeons are continuing to determine and redefine how much can be accomplished through smaller incisions and with minimal surgical stress. Laparoscopy is still only in its infancy. This article reviews current aspects of laparoscopic surgery in 1999-2000 in relation to gallbladder, gastric, colorectal, and splenic disease, as well as reviewing the current role of laparoscopic surgery in the treatment of abdominal wall hernias.