In response to last year's scandal in which a number of patients died after undergoing laparoscopic liver surgery, two key medical bodies have introduced a system to track such procedures to ensure safety and transparency.
The Japanese Society of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery and the Endoscopic Liver Surgery Study Group on Wednesday announced the launch of a system that registers cases of laparoscopic liver surgery, with hospitals asked to provide records.
"The system aims to verify the safety of laparoscopic liver surgeries," Hiroyuki Nitta, an instructor at Iwate Medical University's surgery department who is charged with administrative aspects of the surgery study group, told The Japan Times on Thursday. "It is also aimed at studying what types of liver problems are suited to surgery using a laparoscope."