History of laparoscopic surgery.

Laparoscopic surgery has a long and colorful history. Although most general surgeons, especially in the United States, have discovered this technology only recently with the advent of videolaparoscopy, extensive diagnostic and therapeutic laparoscopy has been accomplished throughout the twentieth century, especially in Europe. Since its origin in 1901 by Kelling to the development of the computer chip television camera in the late 1980s, the history of laparoscopy entails a chronicle of discovery, innovation, and rediscovery. An appreciation for this historical chronicle may actually provide surgeons with a secure foundation as they embark on the new era of videolaparoscopy.