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For twenty‐first century laparoscopic surgeons, the controversy surrounding laparoscopy as late as in the 1980s and 1990s seems unbelievable.

One of the remarkable pioneers, who persevered despite a massive storm of criticism, was the gynecologist Kurt Semm (1927–2003). In the 1970s, his innovations included the electronic insufflator with capability to precisely monitor intra‐abdominal pressures, which greatly increased pneumoperitoneum safety. He all but eliminated thermal injuries by improving on radio frequency cauterization. He pioneered extra‐ and intracorporeal knot tying and may have invented the loop applicator. However, the latter has been vehemently challenged by another gynecologist, H. Courtenay Clarke, who published on ligation and suturing techniques in the early 1970s.

In 1980, Semm performed the first laparoscopic appendectomy. No one could believe this was possible, and he was accused of pathological hoaxing. At the time, the gap between surgeons and gynecologists was immense. Semm's entrance into general surgery was seen as an attempt of a gynecologist to bolster his “operation ego” [4, 5]. All his attempts to publish on his surgical technique were refused with the reasoning that such “nonsense will never belong to general surgery” or that it was “unethical.” Even Semm's gynecological colleagues thought he had gone too far and attacked his publications, as being faulty and biased. The insulting criticism often went to extremes; the projector was unplugged during his presentations, with the motivation that unethical surgery was presented. After Semm lecturing on laparoscopic appendectomy, the President of the German Surgical Society wrote to the Board of Directors of the German Gynecological Society, suggesting suspension of Semm from medical practice.