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The start of colo-rectal laparoscopic surgery, after an initial period of enthusiasm tempered by predictable technical difficulties, was finally slowed down by the risk of port site metastases. However, this kind of surgery continued to be used for benign colonic pathology, allowing the achievement of surgical skill. Some well-trained teams reported comparable loco-regional relapse rate and 5-years survival in both laparoscopic and conventional trials. The some good results concern also mortality and morbidity in both kind of trials. Based on 613 personal cases, the authors reveal this surgery's peculiarities, justifying a predictable development.

Once with the continuous development of mini-invasive procedures, the open surgery indications in the treatment of CBD stones are decreasing. Between January 1986 and December 1987, 514 patients with average age 60 years old (18-94) were treated for suspected or confirmed CBDS. Three distinctive periods were studied function of how the conventional surgery were either exclusive (group I), either together with the beginning era of laparoscopy (group II), or together with institutionalised laparoscopy (group III). Group I had 110 cases, group II--207 cases and group III--197 cases. The conventional surgery were 100% performed in group I, 26% (52 cases) performed in group II, 14% (28 cases) performed in group III. If the laparotomy was the only therapeutical option in patients with CBDS from group I, the therapeutical procedures become more various after 1990. It was done endoscopic sphincterotomy in 59% (124 cases) in group II and in 64% (126 cases) in group III. The laparoscopic extraction of CBDS was 12% (cases) in group II and 19% (37 cases) in group III. The overall mortality in conventional surgery was 1.5% with 1.8% in group I and 0% in group II and III. The complications rate was 13% with 8% in group II and 21% in group III. The postoperative hospitalisation time average was 16 days for laparotomy of the 3 groups. The conventional surgery is main indicated when laparoscopic surgery for CBDS extractions or endoscopic sphincterotomy is contraindicated or failed; also it is useful in some complicated forms of CBDS.