[Endoscopic biliary surgery today: current aspects and prospects].

Over the past twenty years endoscopic surgery has reached a level of use which was unthinkable when it was first introduced. The practical experience of practitioners is now able to offer a wide-ranging guarantee for the complementary and alternative resolution of even severe clinical conditions. From the start its use appeared to be particularly available in the context of biliary diseases, especially for the treatment of lithiasis and sepsis, as well as in the treatment of both benign and malignant conditions of obstructed biliary flow. Special attention has been paid to the cost/benefit ratio which is increasingly the main goal of the medical activity today. The paper illustrates the different methods which can be used with specific reference to techniques and other devices able to reduce risks and improve results. The Author's personal experience is compared with that reported in the literature in the different sectors of application. There is increasing consent regarding the results achieved to data as well as technological progress.