Minimally invasive surgery Minimally invasive surgery allows your specialist to use techniques that limit the size and number of incisions, that they need to make. This is typically considered safer than open surgery and generally recover more quickly, spend less time in the hospital, and feel more comfortable while you heal. In traditional open surgery, your specialist makes one large cut to see the part of your body that they’re operating on. In minimally invasive surgery, your specialist uses small tools, cameras, and lights that fit through several tiny cuts in your skin. This allows your surgeon to perform surgery without opening a lot of muscle and skin.