Established surgical methods are constantly revised and improved. As a general trend, surgical methods tend to become less invasive, with fewer complications than conventional surgeries, and shorter hospital stay. An exciting example of such advancements is the minimally invasive bypass surgery.

There are several variants of the minimally invasive bypass surgery, but they all share minimally invasive incisions and the use of fiberoptic scopes and instruments that are passed through tiny incisions. Some hospitals use newly developed robotic systems, which allow for even smaller incisions.

Even though minimally invasive surgeries are initially more expensive as there is a need for new instruments and training, health care professionals believe that in the long run such surgeries will be less expensive as they require shorter hospital stay and having fewer complications than conventional surgeries.

For the moment, minimally invasive bypass are only performed in a few medical centers for select candidates, but are expected to be available for most patients in the future.