Video-assisted minilaparotomy in urology.

Minimally invasive surgery has gained wide acceptance as a method of reducing postoperative pain and curtailing the convalescence period. We have devised a modified surgical technique of video-assisted surgery through minilaparotomy (VAMS). This technique is a hybrid of conventional open and laparoscopic surgery that combines the benefits of both techniques by reducing postoperative pain and scarring, as in laparoscopy, but at the same time maintaining the safety of conventional open surgery. Video-assisted procedures have become standard as a result of our experience with 245 consecutive patients operated on between January 1993 and January 2001. The VAMS is a minimally invasive technique that is safe, feasible, standardized, and reproducible with a short learning curve. This technique can be an alternative to open and laparoscopic surgery in daily urologic practice.