[Robotic surgery: toy or tool?]

Telemanipulation has been developed for industrial purposes since the 1970s. More recently, telemanipulated arms entered the operating room. This paper briefly describes the history of surgical robotics and discusses the advantages and disadvantages for both patients and surgeons. The authors advocate the development of robotic surgery, as it facilitates the training of young surgeons and can be useful during certain phases of an operation. Thus, robotic surgery is more a promising tool than a simple toy.