What is minimally invasive surgery (MIS)?
A. The term MIS can be used interchangeably with laparoscopy or endoscopic surgery. Minimally invasive surgery is performed through dime-sized (1-2 cm) incisions–also called operating ports. This is in contrast to the much larger incisions used in traditional, open surgery, which are often as large as 6-12 inches long. In cardiac surgery, a conventional “open” approach also involves splitting the breastbone and opening the ribs. The smaller incisions used in MIS typically enable shorter recovery times and result in less pain, less blood loss, fewer transfusions, fewer infections, and reduced hospitalization costs. While MIS has become standard-of-care for particular surgical procedures, it has not been widely adopted for more complex or delicate procedures–for example, prostatectomy and mitral valve repair. Intuitive Surgical believes that surgeons have been slow to adopt MIS for complex procedures because they find that fine-tissue manipulation–such as dissecting and suturing–is m
