The future of laparoscopy in urology.

Laparoscopy has not changed urological techniques as radically as could be supposed, as only 17% of urological techniques are performed by laparoscopy instead of the predicted 70%. However, this limited proportion corresponds to 30% of urological operating time. The author proposes a combination of open surgery and laparoscopy in certain cases. Laparoscopy is responsible for lower blood loss, less postoperative pain, a shorter hospital stay and a very small scar which account for its popularity among patients. A rational combination of laparoscopy, endoscopy and open surgery to treat urological diseases should be developed in the future.