The History of Laparoscopy 1853 - Antoine Jean Desormeaux, was a french surgeon who first introduced the 'Lichtleiter" of Bozzini to a patient. For many he is considered the "Father of Endoscopy". This instrument had a system of mirrows and lens, with a lamp flame as the light source. Burns, as imagined, were the major complication of these procedures. The lichtleiter was mainly used for urologic cases 1876 - Maximilian Nitze, modified Edison's light bulb invention and created the first optical endoscope with built-in electrical light bulb as the source of ilumination. Like the Lichtleiter from Bozzini, this instrument was only used for urologic procedures. 1881 - Mikulicz and Leiter, adopted Max Nitze's principle of a rigid optical system and succeeded in constructing the first useful clinical gastroscope. Mikulicz also carried out numerous examinations on patients and obtained diagnostic results in Billroth's surgical clinic in Vienna. mail: webmaster@laparoscopy.com