The practice of inserting a
medical instrument into a small
incision for the purpose of
examination or
surgery. The first human laparoscopy was performed in
1910 by a
Swede,
Hans Christian Jacobaeus. As instrumentation has advanced, the potential uses for laparoscopy have multiplied. Video laparoscopy (using a tiny camera and fiber optic light source) debuted in 1987, and modern laparoscopes are performed using a
robotic arm. A major advantage of laparoscopy is that the incisions used can be small enough that only
local anaesthetic is needed.
(listen to Alex, not me - I'm kinda dumb)