RETROPERITONEOSCOPIC SURGERY - TECHNIQUE, INDICATIONS AND 1ST EXPERIENCE

Although retroperitoneoscopic procedures were already being performed in the late seventies, it was the balloon-dissecting technique introdu ced by Gaur, together with the progressive experience in transperitone al laparoscopic procedures in the upper retroperitoneum, that initiate d the clinical breakthrough of retroperitoneoscopy. We modified the ba lloon-dissecting technique into a hydraulic, video-optically controlle d balloon dissection of the retroperitoneal space. This technique perm itted successful, extensive laparoscopic surgery on the kidney and ure ter. We summarize the history of retroperitoneoscopy, the different me thods of gaining access to the retroperitoneum and the types of surger y made possible by this new approach, along with our experience in our first 41 cases.