Operative laparoscopy revisited.

摘要

In 1992, Dr. Roy Pitkin, the editor of Obstetrics & Gyne-cology, wrote an editorial entitled "Operative Laparoscopy: Surgical Advance or Technical Gimmick?" [1]. In the text, he posed 5 related questions. The first had to do with technical feasibility vs therapeutic appropriateness. This question can be best answered by randomized clinical studies with comparison to what was at the time the standard of care, namely, laparotomy. However, speaking from personal experience, it was not easy in the early days to have one's research efforts in this area published. The negative bias of the academic community toward laparoscopy and its proponents was intense. We were called "cowboys," a derogatory term then but perhaps less so now. I would rather be a cowboy than an investment banker; the pay is less but the public image is better.