The theoretical basis of minimally-invasive and non-invasive medicine: Treatments--Minimize harm to patients.

This perspective, for the first time, proposed the theoretical basis for the minimally-invasive and non-invasive medicine. It sets the goal of medical treatment that is to minimize harm to patients and to maximize the natural self-healing power for fighting against the disease. It took a historical review on the technological developments shaped by the minimally-invasive and non-invasive ideology with a focus on the course of research, development and clinical deployment of the high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) ablation therapy by the Chinese research team. It also summarized the highlights of the "1st Yangtze International Summit of Minimally-invasive and Non-invasive Medicine 2013" and the mandate of the newly inaugurated International Society of the Minimally-invasive and Noninvasive Medicine (ISMINIM). It provides a perspective on the future development of this emerging field and its impact on human civilization.