Many would think that today minimally invasive surgery is the standard of care in the United States and that the conventional "open" approach would be relegated to few complex procedures or difficult redo operations. However, a great variability still exists in the utilization of laparoscopic surgery in the United States. This variability in surgical care of common diseases raises important ethical and economic issues and warrants a serious look by healthcare providers, insurance companies, and patients.
Keywords: laparoscopy; minimally invasive surgery; open surgery.