Published online Feb 14, 2016. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v22.i6.1975
Peer-review started: May 7, 2015
First decision: June 3, 2015
Revised: June 20, 2015
Accepted: November 30, 2015
Article in press: December 1, 2015
Published online: February 14, 2016
Processing time: 269 Days and 16.3 Hours
Laparoscopic surgery is applied today worldwide to most digestive procedures. In some of them, such as cholecystectomy, Nissen’s fundoplication or obesity surgery, laparoscopy has become the standard in practice. In others, such as colon or gastric resection, the laparoscopic approach is frequently used and its usefulness is unquestionable. More complex procedures, such as esophageal, liver or pancreatic resections are, however, more infrequently performed, due to the high grade of skill necessary. As a result, there is less clinical evidence to support its implementation. In the recent years, robot-assisted laparoscopic surgery has been increasingly applied, again with little evidence for comparison with the conventional laparoscopic approach. This review will focus on the complex digestive procedures as well as those whose use in standard practice could be more controversial. Also novel robot-assisted procedures will be updated.
Core tip: Laparoscopic surgery is increasingly used in the treatment of digestive diseases. New procedures are performed and novel technologies are applied. In addition, robot-assisted laparoscopic surgery has appeared as a useful tool for the digestive surgeon. The aim of this paper is to up-date the recent advances and scientific evidence supporting clinical practice.