Robots for laparoscopic surgery. Rethinking open surgery: an ESVS initiative?

Laparoscopic surgery, a less invasive alternative to open surgery, made its entry into the field of vascular surgery for, among other things, aortoiliac reconstructions for occlusive and aneurysmal disease in the late 90s, but did not achieve the success it was hoped for, mainly because of its learning curve. Robotic surgery represents a major technological advance, widely used in a variety of surgical specialties. It is particularly beneficial in areas where laparoscopy has failed to establish itself as a routine technique. In vascular surgery, the robot offers a minimally invasive alternative to conventional surgery while pushing back the limits of laparoscopy, encouraging wider adoption among surgeons. The European Society for Vascular Surgery (ESVS) can play a central role in the development and diffusion of these robotic techniques, which reinforce the place of open aortic surgery in competition with endovascular techniques.