Every minimally invasive surgical procedure begins with surgical access to the body cavity, and it is this aspect of modern surgery that incurs the most common risk of complication. This practical text comprehensively reviews each of the techniques of modern surgical access.

Every practitioner of minimally invasive surgery must be familiar with the various techniques of surgical access, as no single technique is adequate to the full scope of surgical practice, and all practitioners of minimally invasive surgery will encounter specific clinical situations requiring the mastery of more than a single, standardized approach. This manual includes a detailed description of each technique, its indications, and attendant risks for each of the methods generally accepted as good surgical practice, along with a brief list of salient references. Technique discussed include open umbilical, closed visual, closed blind, alternate site, single site, and natural orifice access. 

Evan Geller, MD, FACS, is a general surgeon with over 35 years of clinical experience in both academic and private practice. As Associate Professor of Surgery at State University of New York at Stony Brook, he was Chief of Trauma Surgery and Critical Care. Dr. Geller founded and directed the Trauma Research Lab at Stony Brook. In this capacity, he authored over 35 publications in peer-reviewed journals. He is also a contributing editor of the textbook Shock and Resuscitation. Geller is currently the President of ParaSurgical Systems Corporation.