Abstract:

The history of the development ofthefine art of physical examination is a record of the physician's efforts to pry ever deeper and deeper into the inner recesses of his patients (H. V.Findlay, 1937).The laparoscopic revolution or evolution caught the surgical field by surprise. Just a few years earlier, the term "endoscopic surgery" was not part of the vocabulary of most surgeons. As with all breakthroughs, the incorporation of laparoscopy into surgery posed its own set of challenges, including: (1) the growing significance of economic factors, (2) increasing pressure from industry, (3) a shift from the hospital to out-patient settings, (4) a different approach to surgical training, (5) changes in the surgeon-patient relationship, and (6) a range of ethical issues.

Authors:

Grzegorz S. Litynski, Institute for History of Medicine, Klinikum der Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität, Frankfurt/Main, Germany; Zoltan Szabo, Ph.D., F.I.C.S., M.O.E.T. Institute, San Francisco, CA, Fetal Treatment Center, Division of Pediatric Surgery, University of California School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA

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