Exposure of the operative field in laparoscopic surgery.

Endoscopic surgery, as a result of over 90 years of investigation, has now become the most innovative part of general surgery; every procedure in the thoracic and abdominopelvic cavity, intraperitoneal or extraperitoneal, has been reviewed for feasibility. The basic principles in the management of surgical patients, however, have not changed: adequate exposure and good lighting remain important and may become more important with endoscopic techniques. Historical review shows the dependence of advances in laparoscopy upon technical development in the field of intraabdominal exposure as the result of two objectives: namely abdominal wall displacement and bowel retraction.