Unusual uses of laparoscopy.

ABSTRACT

The marked enthusiasum recently seen in gynecologic endoscopy has brought forth numerous anecdotes of ingenuity. Without ingenuity, medicine and surgical skills would advance slowly. This anecdotal report is presented not only as information but as a stimulus to the endoscopist to consider new approaches to today's surgical problems. The laparoscope has been used to 1. remove ectopic pregnancies, excise paraovarian cysts and retrieve foreign objects from the abdomen. 2. explore the abdomen for suspected trauma, 3. evaluate the abdomen and pleural cavity for metastatic disease, and 4. perform lumbar sympathectomy. These and other unusual uses of the laparoscope are presented for the "spelunkers" of modern-day endoscopy.