Past, present, and future of laparoscopic renal surgery

Although laparoscopic renal surgery dates to almost 30 years ago, in which the first laparoscopic nephrectomy was performed in 1990, the history of laparoscopy extends back over 100 years, when laparoscopy was first performed on dogs. Over the last 30 years, laparoscopic renal surgery has seen many advancements in technology and technique. With the introduction of robotics and new instruments, renal surgery is becoming increasingly less invasive, and patients are having improved operative outcomes. As new technology develops, the envelope will continue to be pushed by urologists with the hope of improvement of patient outcomes and satisfaction

AUDITORY SNAPSHOTS FROM THE EDGES OF EUROPE

ABSTRACTThis article presents thirty ‘auditory snapshots’ from a wide variety of geographical locations and contexts in order to elaborate several points. First, we believe that the study of history cannot be separated from the study of sound, whether in the form of ‘soundscapes’ or pieces of music. Second, we find that considerations of edges, into which we fold such things as provinces, peripheries and frontiers, can be greatly enriched by looking at a broad range of musical phenomena, from the liturgy of Ugandan Jews to reggae-infused Polish mountain songs and from the sounds of Mozart's Black contemporary Saint-Georges toSilent Nighton the Southern Seas. Finally, drawing on certain ideas from James C. Scott'sThe Art of Not Being Governed, we argue that paradoxically, in music, the middle often has unusual properties. In other words, musical structure mimics the ongoing battle between those in positions of authority and those who wish to evade that authority. Beginnings and endings, then, tend to be sites of power and convention, while middles attempt to subvert it. While culturally and geographically we may contrast centres and peripheries, in music the centre is often the edge.</jats:p