Laparoscopic surgery of the liver and biliary tract

The liver, gallbladder, bile ducts, and spleen are the least mobile organs in the upper abdomen. Thus, the laparoscopic approach is commonly used to manage a variety of pathologies related to these organs [5, 10, 60, 78]. Compared with conventional "open" surgery, minimally invasive surgery reduces postoperative pain and discomfort, lowers morbidity rates, promotes early mobilization, decreases recovery time and length of stay, and improves cosmetic results. In addition, the surgical results of laparoscopic surgery are as good as or better than those of conventional surgery [5]. This paper reviews the advances in laparoscopic surgery, and describes current patient selection practices and laparoscopic surgical techniques for benign liver cysts and tumors and biliary tract diseases.