Controversies in Laparoscopic Surgery

Dr. Michel Gagner is chief of the Division of Laparoscopic Surgery and is the Franz W. Sichel Professor of Surgery at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. He has played an important role in the development of many laparoscopic procedures including laparoscopic bariatric procedures such as gastric bypass. He was the first surgeon to perfom laparoscopic biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch (BPD/DS). Dr. Gagner is certified by the American Board of Surgery and is the fellow of the American College of Surgeons. He is an active member of the American Society for Bariatric Surgery.

Education and Training.- Commentary.- Access to the Abdomen.- Commentary.- Establishing Pneumoperitoneum: The Ideal Gas and Physiological Consequences.- Commentary.- Laparoscopy in the Acute Abdomen.- Commentary.- Laparoscopy in Special Conditions: Previous Abdominal Surgery, Pregnancy and Liver Disease.- Commentary.- Laparoscopy in Abdominal Trauma.- Commentary.- Laparoscopy in Abdominal Malignancy.- Commentary.- Hand-Assisted Laparoscopic Surgery.- Commentary 1.- Commentary 2.- Needlescopic Surgery.- Commentary.- Robotic Surgery.- Commentary.- Hiatal Hernia.- Commentary.- Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease.- Commentary.- Achalasia.- Commentary.- Minimally Invasive Esophagectomy.- Commentary.- Gastric Resection for Advanced Gastric Cancer.- Commentary.- Adjustable Gastric Banding (LAGB) for Morbid Obesity.- Commentary.- Vertical Banded Gastroplasty for Morbid Obesity.- Commentary.- Gastric Bypass for Morbid Obesity.- Commentary.- Biliopancreatic Diversion for Morbid Obesity.- Commentary.- Cholecystectomy.- Commentary.- Choledocholithiasis.- Commentary.- Cystic Parasitic and Nonparasitic Liver Disease.- Commentary.- Liver Surgery for Solid Tumors.- Commentary.- Splenectomy.- Commentary 1.- Commentary 2.- Adrenalectomy.- Commentary.- Donor Nephrectomy.- Commentary.- Pancreatic Surgery.- Commentary.- Colorectal Surgery.- Commentary.- Appendectomy.- Commentary.- Incisional and Ventral Hernia Repair.- Commentary.- Inguinal Hernia Repair.- Commentary.- Thyroid and Parathyroid Surgery.- Commentary.

From the reviews:

"This treatise deals with the full spectrum of the complex and various fields of advanced laparoscopic procedures, including neck surgery. ... This book is directed at all surgeons ... and in the reviewer's opinion it should be mandatory reading for residents in both general and GI surgery. ... an accurate and realistic treatise on the indications, advantages and limitations of laparoscopic procedures ... ." (P. Danelli, Digestive and Liver Disease, Vol. 38, 2006)

"The authors have attempted to provide a written debate on a list of laparoscopic procedures. ... this is done very comprehensively in the text. ... It provides a timely and up-to-date bibliography on almost every subject and, therefore, would be quite easily used as a reference text ... . I think the authors are to be congratulated in delivering what cannot have been an easy project. Modestly priced, I would suggest that this book should be in any laparoscopic surgeon's library." (John R. Monson, Diseases of the Colon & Rectum, Vol. 50 (2), 2007)

"The editors have prefaced this excellent book concisely. ... written with a view to dissecting the available evidence for a number of topics in laparoscopic surgery. ... At the end of each chapter there is a summary which is particularly useful as a quick reference. ... The book is essential for the higher trainee laparoscopic surgeon and the trainer. ... My overall score of this book is a 4 out of 5 and I will be using it as a reference in the future." (Joseph Varghese, Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons, Vol. 89, 2007)