Laparoscopic liver resection

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Abstract
Laparoscopic surgery has revolutionized modern medicine. A minimally invasive approach to abdominal and thoracic surgery has resulted in the reduction of patient pain and postoperative intestinal dysfunction, while minimizing lengths of hospital stay and enabling patients to return more rapidly to their daily activities than does open surgery. 1 Soper N.J. Brunt L.M. Kerbl K. Laparoscopic general surgery. N Engl J Med. 1994; 330 : 409-419 Crossref PubMed Scopus (274) Google Scholar ,  2 Ros A. Gustafsson L. Krook H. et al. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy versus mini-laparotomy cholecystectomy a prospective, randomized, single-blind study. Ann Surg. 2001; 234 : 741-749 Crossref PubMed Scopus (127) Google Scholar ,  3 Flowers J.L. Jacobs S. Cho E. et al. Comparison of open and laparoscopic live donor nephrectomy. Ann Surg. 1997; 226 : 483-489 Crossref PubMed Scopus (392) Google Scholar The advantage of a laparoscopic approach has long been recognized for multiple general surgical procedures including cholecystectomy, Nissen fundoplication, and, most recently, living donor nephrectomy. Unfortunately, advances in minimally invasive surgery have not been embraced without considerable skepticism. This skepticism is often warranted when one recognizes the increased incidence of bile duct injury associated with the laparoscopic approach to cholecystectomy. 4 Goodfellow P.B. Johnson A.G. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy, bile duct injury and the British and Irish surgeon. Ann R Coll Surg Engl. 1998; 80 : 446 PubMed Google Scholar ,  5 Fletcher D.R. Hobbs M.S. Tan P. et al. Complications of cholecystectomy: risks of the laparoscopic approach and protective effects of operative cholangiography: a population based study. Ann Surg. 1999; 229 : 449-457 Crossref PubMed Scopus (405) Google Scholar