Laparoscopic cholecystectomy: a technologic assessment.

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy, despite its short clinical history, has clearly established itself as the preferred surgical therapy for gallbladder removal in symptomatic patients. Significant questions remain, however, regarding the appropriate credentialing criteria for surgeons performing these procedures, the potential incidence of long-term complications, therapeutic guidelines for the assessment and intervention with patients with common duct stones and those select patient subgroups that can be optimally managed with medical, rather than surgical, therapy. The technology assessment team plays a critical role in helping to design mechanisms to answer these important outcomes inquiries.