In the five years since laparoscopic methods have gained widespread use in general surgery, a wealth of experience has accumulated. The surgical pioneers who rec ognized the potential value of laparoscopy for treatment many years previously certainly deserve a great deal of credit for their farsightedness. In a sense, however, the changes of the past few years amount to the development of a whole new branch of surgery. The rate of change has produced an intense demand for the surgical community to gather, structure, and disseminate the newly acquired knowledge. The safety and efficacy of this enormous shift in surgical practice hinges on this process. In Principles of Laparoscopic Surgery, the editors have asked a select group of expert surgeons to present what amounts to an encyclopedic account of current laparoscopic surgical practice. The detailed but varying opinions on the manage ment of gallbladder and complex pancreaticobiliary disease are unique to this vol ume. Not only are varying surgical viewpoints presented, but gastroenterologists and radiologists also describe alternative methods of management. Because lapa roscopic cholecystectomy is the most developed and most common procedure, Chapters 11 and 12 give an especially detailed overview, including clinical data to support each author's views. The editors have also included information from re lated fields in evolution, including minimally invasive urology, gynecology, and vas cular and cardiovascular surgery. Aiming to be comprehensive, the coverage in cludes advances as well as basic instrumentation and techniques.