ABSTRACT
The advances in minimal access techniques have been difficult to apply to the pancreas primarily due to its position deep within the abdomen, making accessibility a key issue. Nevertheless, many pancreatic surgical techniques can and have been performed using laparoscopic or endoscopic approaches. While more conventional approaches are still used for the majority of pancreatic operations there has been some success with the introduction of minimally invasive techniques in the diagnosis and treatment of pancreatic disease. Most notable success has been in the use of laparoscopy for the staging of pancreatic tumours, for treatment of pancreatic pseudocysts and the use of endoscopic techniques in diagnosis and therapy. Pancreatic surgery is certainly an area where there is further scope for the development of minimally invasive techniques, while current conventional access results in a large degree of surgical trauma and its attendant high morbidity and mortality.
