Pediatricians are an essential link between their patients and surgeons when contemplating any surgical intervention. Both practitioners share the goal of minimizing complications and costs. Until recently, applications for minimally invasive surgery were limited in the pediatric population. This is now changing. In this month's State of the Art review, Blinman and Ponsky (doi: 10.1542/peds.2011-2812) discuss the advantages and risks of minimally invasive approaches to pediatric procedures. In the appropriate cases, reduction in cost, injury to surrounding tissues and recovery time as well as the advantages in speed and precision are significant.
