Written by a surgeon with 40 years' experience in practice and instruction, this book provides vital, up-to-date information that explains the strengths and weaknesses of the laparoscopic surgery field to enable potential surgical patients to make the best decisions and choose a surgeon wisely. More than 30 years ago, laparoscopic or "keyhole" surgery suddenly appeared as an operative technique. Laparoscopy quickly grew in the U.S. surgical field, where now more than two million operations annually use the technique. But is the training surgeons receive in laparoscopy sufficient to ensure patient safety? What are the specific situations where laparoscopy is beneficial and justified, and when is it ill-advised due to the additional complexity and risk factors? This is the first book written for general readers—avoiding medical jargon wherever possible—to expose the gritty history and downsides of "minimally invasive surgery." Additionally, it provides the perspective and insights of an esteemed surgeon who was working at the inception of laparoscopy and has a full understanding of this now widely popular procedure across its development and lifespan. Readers will learn about the emergence of laparoscopic techniques in the 1990s, understand how minimally invasive surgery has been a boon to the business of surgery and to patient health and recovery overall, appreciate how the complexity involved in laparoscopic surgery has led to a higher incidence of surgeon "incompetence," and grasp the responsibility of a patient to take steps to assure that the surgeon is qualified before going into the operating room. Examination of eye-opening statistics on the outcomes of laparoscopic procedures documents the high level of capability of most surgeons, as well as the lack of appropriate ability with certain laparoscopic operations in the hands of some surgeons. The author also spells out how informed patients can be prepared to discuss and consider all aspects of an operation—and the surgeon's training and experience—to assure the best outcome for their health.

Table of Contents:
Foreword Carol E. H. Scott-Conner, MD, PhD, MBA Preface Acknowledgments Abbreviations Part One The Third Great Revolution in Surgery: A Trail of Chaos from Heroic Scalpels to a World of Scopes Chapter 1 "Dry Lab on Saturday, Pig Lab on Sunday, Grandma on Monday" Chapter 2 The First Sounds of a Revolution Chapter 3 Disorientation: My First Waltz with a Laparoscope Part Two Radical Surgery Reigns: The Calm before the Storm Chapter 4 The Capable Surgeon: Surgical Competence and the Patient-Safety Movement Chapter 5 Romancing the Stone: A Specialty in Decline and How General Surgeons Almost Lost the Gallbladder Chapter 6 The Gallbladder's Tale: The Chaotic Birth of Laparoscopic General Surgery Part Three Telescopes Replace Scalpels: The Struggle to Maintain Surgical Competence Begins Chapter 7 Innovative Surgeons, New Laparoscopic Operations, and the Dilemma of Patient Safety Chapter 8 How Surgeons Discovered Learning Curves: Defining the Idea of a Capable Surgeon Chapter 9 Surgeons without Scalpels: A Tipping Point Arrives Early for Surgical Laparoscopy Part Four Crisis in the Operating Room: Surgeons Face Self-Reflection under Bright Lights Chapter 10 Big Egos, Small Incisions: The Surgical Personality Then and Now Chapter 11 Resident Work-Hour Restrictions and the Destruction of the Culture of Surgery: A Crisis of Commitment, Fatigue, and the Sleep Lobby Chapter 12 A Perfect Surgical Storm Is Brewing for General Surgeons Part Five The Modern Surgical Toolbox: General Surgery Is Changed Forever Chapter 13 Surgical Education Today: Can We Still Train Capable General Surgeons? Chapter 14 Surgical Competence: A New Definition for the Twenty-First Century Notes Glossary Index