Despite these technological advances, it was not until after 1986, following the development of a video computer chip that allowed the magnification and projection of images onto television screens, that the techniques of laparoscopic surgery truly became integrated into the discipline of general surgery. The first laparoscopic cholecystectomy performed on a human patient was done in 1987 by the French physician Mouret. The rapid acceptance of the technique of laparoscopic surgery by the general population is unparalleled in surgical history. It has changed the field of general surgery more drastically and more rapidly than any other surgical milestone. This paper examines the history behind this exciting surgical technique.
A Brief History of Endoscopy, Laparoscopy, and Laparoscopic Surgery
