A Procedure 25 Years in the Making

Jason D. Wright, MD

Laparoscopy allows for completion of an operative procedure through multiple small incisions as opposed to 1 larger incision. Over the last 30 years, laparoscopic procedures have been developed, tested, and validated for a number of surgical interventions. Laparoscopic hysterectomy was first performed in the early 1990s.1 For women undergoing hysterectomy for benign gynecologic diseases, the procedure has been shown to be safe and is associated with improved perioperative outcomes compared with abdominal hysterectomy performed via laparotomy.2 Despite the apparent benefits of laparoscopic hysterectomy, adoption into practice has been relatively slow.

JAMA