ABSTRACT
The last 15 years have witnessed an unprecedented change in the manner in which general surgical procedures are performed. The technical approach to the surgical patient has been redefined. It is imperative, therefore, that all surgeons become conversant with the complications that might occur during minimally invasive surgery. In general, most complications occur with comparable frequency during both minimally invasive and open surgical procedures. However, a substantial proportion of laparoscopic complications are unique, in many respects, when compared with those encountered during open surgery. This chapter will focus primarily on this latter subset of problems.
