title: Minimally invasive surgery in trauma: technology looking for an application.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Minimally invasive surgery has achieved pre-eminence for certain operations in general surgery over the last two decades, as the reduction in surgical insult has produced faster recovery with enhanced patient satisfaction and favourable health economics. Minimally invasive techniques have been less enthusiastically adopted by the trauma surgical community, despite some evidence of efficacy for nearly 40 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  The literature on minimally invasive techniques in trauma was reviewed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  To date, minimally invasive surgery has played only a small role in trauma surgery. As clearer indications emerge and technology improves, surgeons should be encouraged to incorporate laparoscopy and video-assisted thoracoscopy (VATS) into their protocols and gain familiarity and expertise with their use.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of the Witwatersrand Medical School, Johannesburg, South Africa. degiannis@yebo.co.za
authors.forename: Elias
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Degiannis
authors.forename: Douglas M G
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Bowley
authors.forename: Martin D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D004059:Diffusion of Innovation; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy; D019060:Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D020775:Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000191:economics / Q000601:surgery*