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, 3-D 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.

• Adrenalectomy to remove one or both adrenal glands
• Anti-reflux surgery, sometimes called hiatal hernia repair, to relieve gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
• Cancer surgery, for example, to destroy a tumor
• Colectomy to remove parts of a diseased colon
• Colon and rectal surgery
• Ear, nose and throat surgery
• Endovascular surgery to treat or repair an aneurysm
• Gallbladder surgery (cholecystectomy) to remove gallstones that cause pain
• Gastroenterological surgery, including for gastric bypass
• Gynecologic surgery
• Heart surgery
• Kidney transplant
• Nephrectomy (kidney removal)
• Neurosurgery
• Orthopedic surgery
• Splenectomy to remove the spleen
• Thoracic surgery, such as video-assisted thoracoscopy surgery (VATS)
• Urologic surgery