Impact of Surgeon and Hospital Caseload on the Likelihood of Performing Laparoscopic vs Open Sigmoid Resection for Diverticular Disease—Invited Critique

The growth of laparoscopic surgery has accelerated exponentially since the first such procedures were performed in the early 1980s. Although we have gained nearly 15 years of experience since the first published description of minimally invasive approaches to colon surgery in 1991, laparoscopic colectomy is still infrequently performed in the United States despite apparent advantages. This article, using a large administrative database, confirms this fact and sheds some intriguing light on the subject.