U.S. Markets for General and Pelvic Endoscopic Surgery Products

The transition among many surgical procedures from an open approach to minimally invasive methods has promoted a wider adoption of endoscopy/laparoscopy by many surgeons, which has benefited patients, as it reduces pain, recovery time, and scarring as well as hospital costs. Small-incision, single-incision and incisionless procedures have necessitated the development of next-generation access systems, endoscopes/laparoscopes, hand instruments, robotic surgical systems, and other surgical devices and instruments.

The development of the endoscope has a history extending back to the 1800s, with the first devices employing candles for illumination, and mirrors and lenses to focus light down a narrow tube and allow the returned image to be viewed. Later, rigid telescopes employing electric light sources and internal lenses were developed by German urologist Maximilian Carl-Friedrich Nitze. The creation of the first fiber optic endoscope by Basil Hirschowitz, M.D., Ph.D. in 1957 at the University of Michigan was another key milestone in the evolution of endoscopic surgery, as was cool light technology––developed by Karl Storz in the late 1950s––which allows bright illumination of internal body cavities without excessive heating of the endoscope.