There is a raging debate over the internet about which way minimally invasive surgery should go. The contenders are 1. NOTES which is natural orifice surgery, 2. Singapore port surgery where evrything is done through the umbilicus and 3.Mini or neeldescopic surgery.

The issues are, which has less pain, which gives the best scarring and which is the safest. The Jury is still out on this debate.

My own preference stays with the mini or neeldescopic technique using 2 and 3 mm instruments. As you can see in this picture, the puncture wounds are hardly visible after some months. I think it also wins hands down on safety. As for pain, the differences are probably minimal between the 3 approaches and statistically significant differences will be difficult to show.

Mini or neeldescopic technique is ideal for operations like gall bladder removal, hernia repair, appendicectomy and perhaps even funduplication in slim individuals.