History

It is difficult to credit one individual with the pioneering of laparoscopic approach. In 1902 Georg Kelling, of Dresden, Saxony, performed the first laparoscopic procedure in dogs and in 1910 Hans Christian Jacobaeus of Sweden reported the first laparoscopic operation in humans.

Advantages

There are a number of advantages to the patient with laparoscopic surgery versus an open procedure. These include:

* reduced blood loss, which reduces the risk of needing a blood transfusion.
* smaller incision, which reduces pain and shortens recovery time.
* less pain, leading to less pain medication needed.
* Although procedure times are usually slightly longer, hospital stay is less, and often with a same day discharge which leads to a faster return to everyday living.
* reduced exposure of internal organs to possible external contaminants thereby reduced risk of acquiring infections.
* can be used in Gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT) surgery to put the eggs back into the fallopian tubes.