The rise of modern endoscopy -- and the myriad techniques that it has engendered -- is one of the most compelling success stories in modern medicine. Digestive Endoscopy in the Second Millennium is a balanced, comprehensive history of the field, from the early tubes, candles, and catheters that preceded modern endoscopes to sophisticated techniques, such as endoscopic ultrasonography, diagnostic and therapeutic laparoscopy, and many others. Meticulously researched, the book features all of the major advances in endoscopy over the past century, along with the stories of the highly creative medical and technical innovators behind them -- from Bozzini and Kussmaul to the present. Rare archival photographs and illustrations of people, places, instruments, and pathology supplement the text. Recognized worldwide as a leader in the field, Francisco Vilardell traces the stories of the forerunners of endoscopy, rigid gastroscopes, the semi-flexible gastroscope; the emergence of optical fiber fiberscopy and rigid esophagoscopy; the evolution of rigid rectosigmoidoscopy, fibercolonoscopy, and biliopancreatic endoscopy, and more. A uniquely valuable resource for all those who practice and teach digestive endoscopy, this elegant volume also offers fascinating historical insight into man's never-ending quest to explore the inner workings of the human body.