Critical View of Safety

The critical view of safety is a "window" crossed by two structures: the cystic duct and artery. This is achieved by exposing the base of the liver bed and dissecting Calot's triangle free of all tissue except for the cystic duct and artery. The majority of surgeons have routinely performed the so-called “infundibular” technique for gallbladder hilar dissection since the introduction of laparoscopy in the early nineties. The “critical view of safety” approach has only been recently discussed in controlled studies. It is characterized by a blunt dissection of the upper part of Calot's space, which does not usually contain arterial or biliary anomalies and is therefore ideal for a safe dissection, even in less experienced hands.