Is robotics the future of laparoendoscopic single-site surgery (LESS)?

Abstract

• Laparoendoscopic single-site surgery (LESS) is a term that covers a spectrum of surgical techniques that perform laparoscopic surgery by consolidating all ports into one surgical incision. • In recent years, there has been an expansion of LESS surgical techniques with a wide spectrum of urological procedures being performed using LESS surgery. • Paralleling the clinical expansion of LESS are efforts to improve the instrumentation and access devices as well as incorporation of robotic platforms to the LESS arena. • This expansion in technology has generated the essential question: is robotics the future of LESS?