A presentation of the current knowledge in the field of laparoscopic colorectal surgery discusses the history, evaluation, preparation, operative technique, and specific surgical techniques accompanied by editorial commentary from 55 international contributors whose opinions on the procedure range from enthusiastic to skeptical. The final chapters specifically address the most recent controversies, including: laparoscopic complications, immune function, credentialing, and cost analysis. Volume contains diagrams, and color photographs of surgeries. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc. , Portland, OR