AbstractLaparoscopic surgery is the most significant advancement in the field of surgery over the past 15 years. This minimal access approach has been widely embraced and adopted to many common operations. Demonstrated benefits include decreased post‐operative pain, shorter lengths of in‐patient hospitalization, increased patient acceptance, and a more rapid return to gainful employment. With its ever‐growing popularity, it has become fertile ground for civil litigation, ranking along with birth injuries and failure to diagnose cancer. A brief synopsis of the history of its evolution is presented along with general and specific comments concerning potential errors as they relate to specific common operations which are commonly done utilizing this technique. J. Surg. Oncol. 2004;88:153–160. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.