Systematic Reviews
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2015. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Methodol. Dec 26, 2015; 5(4): 238-254
Published online Dec 26, 2015. doi: 10.5662/wjm.v5.i4.238
Laparoscopic surgery: A qualified systematic review
Alexander Buia, Florian Stockhausen, Ernst Hanisch
Alexander Buia, Florian Stockhausen, Department of General and Visceral Surgery, St. Elisabethen-Krankenhaus, Academic Teaching Hospital Goethe-University Frankfurt, D-60487 Frankfurt, Germany
Ernst Hanisch, Department of Visceral and Thoracic Surgery, Asklepios Klinik Langen, Academic Teaching Hospital Goethe-University Frankfurt, D-63225 Langen, Germany
Author contributions: Buia A, Stockhausen F and Hanisch E contributed equally to this paper; Hanisch E performed the systematic search of the literature; Buia A and Stockhausen F reviewed the full-text findings; Buia A wrote the paper; Stockhausen F and Hanisch E reviewed the final version of the text.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors declare no conflict of interest.
Data sharing statement: No additional data are available.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Correspondence to: Dr. Ernst Hanisch, Professor, Department of Visceral and Thoracic Surgery, Asklepios Klinik Langen, Academic Teaching Hospital Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Röntgenstr 20, D-63225 Langen, Germany. e.hanisch@asklepios.com
Telephone: +49-6103-9121309 Fax: +49-6103-9121814
Received: May 5, 2015
Peer-review started: May 8, 2015
First decision: June 18, 2015
Revised: August 28, 2015
Accepted: November 17, 2015
Article in press: November 25, 2015
Published online: December 26, 2015
Abstract

AIM: To review current applications of the laparoscopic surgery while highlighting the standard procedures across different fields.

METHODS: A comprehensive search was undertaken using the PubMed Advanced Search Builder. A total of 321 articles were found in this search. The following criteria had to be met for the publication to be selected: Review article, randomized controlled trials, or meta-analyses discussing the subject of laparoscopic surgery. In addition, publications were hand-searched in the Cochrane database and the high-impact journals. A total of 82 of the findings were included according to matching the inclusion criteria. Overall, 403 full-text articles were reviewed. Of these, 218 were excluded due to not matching the inclusion criteria.

RESULTS: A total of 185 relevant articles were identified matching the search criteria for an overview of the current literature on the laparoscopic surgery. Articles covered the period from the first laparoscopic application through its tremendous advancement over the last several years. Overall, the biggest advantage of the procedure has been minimizing trauma to the abdominal wall compared with open surgery. In the case of cholecystectomy, fundoplication, and adrenalectomy, the procedure has become the gold standard without being proven as a superior technique over the open surgery in randomized controlled trials. Faster recovery, reduced hospital stay, and a quicker return to normal activities are the most evident advantages of the laparoscopic surgery. Positive outcomes, efficiency, a lower rate of wound infections, and reduction in the perioperative morbidity of minimally invasive procedures have been shown in most indications.

CONCLUSION: Improvements in surgical training and developments in instruments, imaging, and surgical techniques have greatly increased safety and feasibility of the laparoscopic surgical procedures.

Keywords: Laparoscopic surgery, Endoscopic surgery, Pancreatic surgery, Rectal resection, Gastrectomy, Gastric cancer, Colon resection, Appendectomy, Esophagectomy, Cholecystectomy

Core tip: This review investigates different applications of the laparoscopic approach on the basis of the current literature and summarizes studies concerning laparoscopic surgery in the different medical fields.