Use of microlaparoscopy in diagnostic procedures: a case report.

The advent of minimally invasive surgery has produced remarkable improvements in the field of laparoscopy. Although laparoscopy clearly has reduced morbidity compared with laparotomy, the standard laparoscopic procedure has its drawbacks, the most notable being the need for general anesthesia and at least one 10-mm puncture for the camera systems, even in a diagnostic case. Previous small laparoscopes have suffered from inadequate availability of light and a small angle of vision. This report describes the use of a microlaparoscope with a wider angle of vision and higher availability of light to perform a diagnostic laparoscopy and liver biopsy.