Twenty years of minimally invasive surgery in the Czech Republic

• Published in: Wideochirurgia i inne techniki mało inwazyjne Vol. 6; no. 1; pp. 42 - 47
• Main Authors: Duda, Miloslav, Gryga, Adolf, Czudek, Stanislav, Skalický, Pavel
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Poznan Termedia Publishing House 01-01-2011
• Subjects: history of miniinvasive surgery; laparoscopy; miniinvasive surgery
• ISSN: 2299-0054; 1895-4588; 2299-0054
• DOI: 10.5114/wiitm.2011.20993

Aim: To outline the history and evaluate the development and current situation of miniinvasive surgery in the Czech Republic (CR). Material and methods: The authors discuss their experience with the introduction of miniinvasive surgery in CR. Questionnaires used repeatedly in surgical departments in CR provide the data for the evaluation of the development and current status of endoscopic surgery. Results: In the Czech Republic laparoscopic surgery was first performed in 1991, and by 1997 laparoscopic interventions were performed at all surgical departments. The proportion of the laparoscopic approach within overall abdominal surgery increased between 1997 and 2002 from 22% to 37%. The most frequent laparoscopic (L) treatment applied today is cholecystectomy (CH), which is a method used at all departments. Nowadays, the proportion of LCH within all cholecystectomies performed is between 71% and 76%. CH is followed by appendectomy (A), which is carried out in 94-97% of surgical departments; the proportion of LA is between 38% and 41%. Laparoscopic herniotomy (H) is performed at 85-87% of surgical departments, and its proportion within all herniotomies reached 19%. In 1997-1999 resection of the colon was performed at 9% of surgical departments, in 2004 at 26%, and in 2006 at as many as 58% of surgical departments. Between 2004 and 2006 the proportion of laparoscopic management of resection of colorectal carcinoma increased from 7% to 15%. A smaller number of departments perform highly specialized endoscopic surgery. In 2006 we recorded 365 gastric bandings for the treatment of obesity, 90 resections of the stomach, 139 resections of the liver, 60 splenectomies, and 70 adrenalectomies. Video-assisted thoracoscopic interventions also became routine: in 2006 we recorded 953, in 2007 there were 1214 this procedures performed, and in 2008 the number increased to 1163. Conclusions: The proportion of endoscopic surgery within all forms of surgical management has increased over the last twenty years, and the range of types of surgical therapies has enlarged.