[Robotic-assisted laparoscopy: general principles]

Born in the late 90s, robotic-assisted laparoscopy has today an exponential growth. It presents some disadvantages, the first of them being a very high cost, similarly to all new medical technologies. On the other hand, its advantages are very important and allow the open surgeon to apply his natural skills to the endoscopic approach, while recovering the 3-dimensional vision. Urology is the specialty that has the most benefited from this new technology. If this technique progresses as rapidly as computers, it is likely to become associated to new indications.