Abstract
Robotic surgery has gained in prevalency over the world, but not yet in Japan. Its popularity owes mainly to the fact that robotic surgery has overcome the technical difficulties in minimally invasive surgery. The development of techniques in endoscopic treatment has recently enabled us to conduct natural orifice translumenal endoscopic surgery, or “NOTES.” This incision-free and painless surgery is an ideal procedure for the patients, but technical problems remain to be solved. Surgical simulation as well as a navigation system are essential for future surgery to be performed more precisely and in safety by combining it with robotic surgery. An information-guided surgical robotic system is the key technology in future surgical science.
