Abstract

Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) has been extensively, and safely used in many operations and even with superiorities over open surgery. In pediatric solid tumors, MIS was previously used with the aim of biopsy and later gained applications in staging and assessment of resectability, evaluation of metastatic and recurrent tumors. In the extirpation of primary, and metastatic mass lesions certain rules have been started to be adopted for laparoscopic, and thoracoscopic approaches. However, apart from the importance of general oncological principles,, almost all relevant reports were derived from studies of retrospective or observational design, lack of established national and international summarized guidelines/regulations regarding the use of minimally invasive methods in pediatric oncological surgery encounter us as limitations of the studies. MIS have been used in total excision of neuroblastoma, adrenal, renal, germ cell, pancreas and liver tumors in abdomen, and teratoma, neurogenic tumors, lymphoproliferative and metastatic tumors in thorax.