In the last few years technical improvements have produced a dramatic shift from traditional open surgery towards a minimally invasive approach for the management of early endometrial cancer. Advancement in minimally invasive surgical approaches has allowed extensive staging procedures to be performed with significantly reduced patient morbidity. Debate is ongoing regarding the choice of a mini...

We present the design of a simulator for a prototype interventional magnetic resonance imaging scanner. This MRI scanner is integrated with an operating theater, enabling new techniques in minimally invasive surgery. The simulator is designed with a threefold purpose: (1) to provide a rehearsal apparatus for practicing and modifying conventional procedures for use in the magnetic environment, (...

Robotic laparoscopic surgery has revolutionized minimally invasive surgery and has increased in popularity due to its important benefits. However, evaluation of surgical performance during human robotic laparoscopic procedures in the operating room is very limited. We previously developed quantitative measures to assess robotic surgical proficiency. In the current study, we want to determine if...

Minimally invasive laparoscopic surgical procedures are increasingly being used in the management of various urological diseases. In particular, the laparoscopic approach for intravesical surgery using pneumovesicum (LPV) is a minimally invasive alternative with potential advantages including decreased morbidity, shorter hospital stays, and improved cosmesis. We review the applications of LPV i...

Coronary diseases/surgery; myocardial revascularization; surgical procedures minimally invasive. Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is the gold standard for the definitive treatment of coronary disease. With the advent of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty, cardiac surgery fell behind, especially for the treatment of oneand two-vessel coronary artery disease, which made surgeons leave th...

Over the last twenty years, minimally invasive aortic valve replacement (MIAVR) has evolved into a safe, well-tolerated and efficient surgical treatment option for aortic valve disease. It has been shown to reduce postoperative morbidity, providing faster recovery and rehabilitation, shorter hospital stay and better cosmetic results compared with conventional surgery. A variety of minimally inv...

The epidemic of obesity continues to be a major health issue. It is now almost uniform that surgical procedures for weight loss are performed with minimally invasive techniques. This article reviews the literature regarding obesity-related health issues, in particular risk of malignancy, and the application of robotic technology in weight loss surgical procedures. With increasing literature and...

We read with great interest the paper by Je et al. [1] regarding minimally invasive surgical treatment for atrial fibrillation. This was a comprehensive systematic review pooling available data on the Cox-maze procedure, beating-heart epicardial ablation and hybrid procedure to compare their safety and efficacy. Based on 37 studies included in this review, Je et al. demonstrated that at 12-mont...

Degenerative disease of the lumbar spine is a common and increasingly prevalent condition that is often implicated as the primary reason for chronic low back pain and the leading cause of disability in the western world. Surgical management of lumbar degenerative disease has historically been approached by way of open surgical procedures aimed at decompressing and/or stabilizing the lumbar spin...