[Are there technological advances in minimally invasive surgery and who will pay them?].

The successful development of minimally invasive surgery would have been inconceivable without continuous advances in medical technology. The users, i.e. the surgeons, however, only accepted innovations with a clear-cut positive impact on clinical care. Accordingly, the expected exponential rise in costs could be avoided. The imbalance in cost/benefit aspects between the deliverers of medical care on one hand, and the patients, the insurance companies and the employers on the other is critical. In addition, further innovations are to be expected. This will not be possible without increasing costs, but there are good reasons to assume that expenses will rise only moderately. Each modern society is able (and obliged) to afford a certain amount of medical progress in order to maintain a high level of medical care and economic strength.