RT Book, Section A1 King, Jonathan C. A1 Zeh, III, Herbert J. A2 Zinner, Michael J. A2 Ashley, Stanley W. A2 Hines, O. Joe SR Print(0) ID 1160037536 T1 Minimally Invasive Approaches to Cancer T2 Maingot's Abdominal Operations, 13e YR 2019 FD 2019 PB McGraw-Hill Education PP New York, NY SN 9780071843072 LK accesssurgery.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1160037536 RD 2024/10/05 AB Laparoscopy has evolved tremendously in the past 40 years, from a diagnostic tool to a surgical platform with nearly as many therapeutic applications as open surgery. In the most capable hands the only current primary limitation to minimally invasive approaches to most gastrointestinal (GI) cancers is the size of the incision required for removal of the specimen(s). However, it is clear that the most advanced techniques require extensive training and operative skill to perform safely and consistently on unselected patients. Given these skill sets are not realistically achievable by many surgeons, some techniques such as minimally invasive esophageal, hepatic, and pancreatic resections will remain in the purview of highly specialized practitioners. More recently, laparoscopy is being supplanted by the addition of the robotic minimally invasive platform with its promise of improved surgical exposure and increased instrument dexterity. It seems likely that with the continued advancement of technology in the field, the frontier of minimally invasive surgery will continue to expand.