The challenges and solutions of laparoscopic surgical practice in the developing countries

Abstract

Laparoscopic surgery has become the preferred standard in developed countries. New procedures in laparoscopic surgery are continually being developed. Despite these innovations Nigeria and many other African are yet to fully embrace this surgical approach. Few therapeutic laparoscopic surgery procedures are performed annually in Nigerian teaching hospitals. Appropriate personnel and the initial high cost of acquiring state of the art equipments are some of the challenges in laparoscopic surgery in developing countries. A few centres have developed ways of solving these challenges. We discuss the envisaged problems with laparoscopic surgery in Nigeria and some other African countries and suggest solutions to these problems.