Complications of Minimal Access Surgery

Initial development of "minimal access surgery" began
in the animal laboratory and was later studied in selected
academic centers. It was imported to the community
hospitals only when its benefits and safety were established.
The development of laparoscopic cholecystectomy was not
designed to enhance the safety of the procedure, but rather to
reduce the discomfort associated with the surgical incision.
The fierce economical competition in medicine fueled by
the managed care movement led to the rapid adoption of
laparoscopic surgery among surgeons and gynecologist in
community hospitals who were not formally trained in this
technique and acquired their knowledge by subscribing to
short courses.
Low complication rates were reported by centers
specializing in laparoscopic surgery, mostly in academic
centers. These centers were able to reduce the complication
rate to minimum by developing proficiency in this surgery.
Regrettably, many inexperienced surgeons perform this
technique within sufficient training and are responsible for
the majority of complications seen during the performance
of laparoscopic surgery.