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The fast spread of laparoscopic surgery in the surgical community also required introduction of new methods of surgical education of these techniques. Training boxes applied for this reason meant a considerable help. The technique of the virtual reality introduced simulation, which is a new possibility in education. For the first time in the history of surgery we can measure medical students' or residents' dexterity and one can get acquainted with a surgical procedure in the form of "serious games". By application of the up-to-date imaging methods we can plan the movements of the surgeon's hand even before the planned operation, practice and repeating can contribute to the safety of the real procedure. Open surgical procedures can be practiced on plastic phantoms mimicking human anatomy and the use of interactive touch devices and e-learning can also contribute to practical education of surgery.

Due to the fast spread of laparoscopic cholecystectomy, surgical procedures have been changed essentially. The new techniques applied for both abdominal and thoracic procedures provided the possibility for minimally invasive access with all its advantages. Robots - originally developed for industrial applications - were retrofitted for laparoscopic procedures. The currently prevailing robot-assisted surgery is ergonomically more advantageous for the surgeon, as well as for the patient through the more precise preparative activity thanks to the regained 3D vision. The gradual decrease of costs of robotic surgical systems and development of new generations of minimally invasive devices may lead to substantial changes in routine surgical procedures.