Minimally invasive surgery

Date Updated: 09/24/2021

Overview

In minimally invasive surgery, doctors use a variety of techniques to operate with less damage to the body than with open surgery. In general, minimally invasive surgery is associated with less pain, a shorter hospital stay and fewer complications.

Laparoscopy — surgery done through one or more small incisions, using small tubes and tiny cameras and surgical instruments — was one of the first types of minimally invasive surgery. Another type of minimally invasive surgery is robotic surgery. It provides a magnified, 3D view of the surgical site and helps the surgeon operate with precision, flexibility and control.

Continual innovations in minimally invasive surgery make it beneficial for people with a wide range of conditions. If you need surgery and think you may be a candidate for this approach, talk with your doctor.

Types of minimally invasive surgery

Surgeons perform many minimally invasive surgeries on specific parts of the body, including:

Adrenalectomy to remove one or both adrenal glands
Brain surgery
Colectomy to remove parts of a diseased colon
Gallbladder surgery (cholecystectomy) to relieve pain caused by gallstones
Heart surgery
Hiatal hernia repair, sometimes called anti-reflux surgery, to relieve gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
Kidney transplant
Nephrectomy (kidney removal)
Spine surgery
Splenectomy to remove the spleen

Minimally invasive surgery can also be used for more general surgeries, including the following:

Cancer surgery, for example, to destroy a tumor
Colon and rectal surgery
Endovascular surgery to treat or repair an aneurysm
Gastroenterologic surgery, including for gastric bypass
Gynecologic surgery
Neurosurgery
Orthopedic surgery
Otolaryngology (ear, nose and throat surgery) head and neck surgery
Thoracic surgery, such as video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS)
Urologic surgery

Why it's done

Minimally invasive surgery emerged in the 1980s as a safe and effective technique to meet the surgical needs of many people. In the last 20 years, many surgeons have come to prefer it to traditional (open) surgery, which requires larger incisions and, usually, a longer hospital stay.

Since then the use of minimally invasive surgery has expanded widely in many surgical specialties, including colon surgery and lung surgery. Talk with your doctor about whether you would be a good candidate for this surgical approach.

Risks

Minimally invasive surgery uses smaller surgical incisions, and it's generally less risky than traditional surgery. But even with minimally invasive surgery, there are risks of complications with anesthesia, bleeding and infection.