Computer-assisted reproductive surgery: microsurgery for the digital age.

Abstract Although considerable progress has been made in the field of medically assisted reproduction, minimally invasive surgery remains of vital importance in optimizing and preserving fertility, as well as treating infertility. By definition, reproductive surgery employs microsurgical techniques with the objective of restoring natural fertility or enhancing assisted reproductive technologies. The avant-garde minimalist philosophy of this branch of gynecology has made it the natural trailblazer of laparoscopic surgery. Minimally invasive conservative treatment of uterine, tubal, ovarian and peritoneal pathology has long been the gold standard for women of reproductive age and those seeking fertility preservation. Robust surgical outcome data acknowledge clear advantages of advanced laparoscopic surgery over laparotomy. However, this comes at the cost of significant technical challenges. Computer-assisted laparoscopy, also known as robotic surgery, is posed to address the practical limitations of conventional laparoscopic surgery and bridge this technical gap. This enabling technology is a conceptual fusion of the practicality of conventional open surgery and the minimally invasive nature of laparoscopic surgery. With this comes the promise of simplifying complex minimally invasive fertility-sparing procedures so that they can be performed in a safe and reproducible manner by reproductive specialists.