ABSTRACT
The last century was definitely a milestone in improvements in the art and science of surgery. Introduction of different surgical and antiseptic techniques, as well as various postoperational surveillance improvements, has resulted in a substantial decrease in death rates. However, the core task of “surgery,” that is, “cutting and sewing,” remained basically unchanged; surgeons were still using basic hand tools and instruments, and the only way to access the surgery site was direct contact and visualization of the organ or tissue.
