PEDIATRIC LAPAROSCOPY - QUO-VADIS - A VIEW FROM THE OUTSIDE

The impact of laparoscopy on all types of surgery has been revolutionary. The general surgeon, gynecologist, colorectal surgeon and urologist have all been affected by developments in this area. Until now, these advances have almost been uniformly limited to adults. However, the miniaturization of instrumentation, improvement of endoscopic visualization and camera technology, and recent pioneering efforts of a few individuals have made these same adult procedures possible in adolescents, children and infants. However, for each innovative procedure, the question must be answered whether this truly represents an advance or merely a technological marvel. In this regard, careful studies need to be conducted comparing the surgical and laparoscopic outcomes for each procedure in patients of similar age from the standpoint of efficacy, cost and patient morbidity. These objective data will provide the answer to the question: ''It's new, but is it better?''