MISWeek 2026 — minimally invasive surgery / robotics

MISWeek — Minimally Invasive Surgery Week — is the annual meeting of the Society of Laparoscopic & Robotic Surgeons (SLS), returning to the Orlando area from 2–5 December 2026. As the society's name signals, robotics sits at the heart of the programme: this is where, in the organisers' own phrase, "laparoscopy and robotics meet". Across a multidisciplinary agenda spanning general surgery, gynaecology, endourology, paediatric, colorectal, bariatric and oncological surgery, attendees examine how robotic platforms, surgical simulation and increasingly artificial intelligence are reshaping the operating theatre.

The format mixes hands-on master courses, didactic general sessions, plenaries, and a scientific programme of papers, surgical videos and e-posters drawn from an open call for abstracts. Recent editions have featured dedicated sessions on AI in surgery, the present and future of robotic surgery, and the practical question of whether a robot belongs in every operating room — a useful barometer of where the field believes the technology is heading. A long-running "Surgical Surprises" video session dissects unexpected intraoperative events with expert-panel commentary. The meeting is accredited for continuing-medical-education credit and is open to surgeons, clinicians, allied health professionals, residents, fellows and students. For anyone tracking the clinical front line of medical robotics and machine intelligence rather than the laboratory, MISWeek offers a grounded, practitioner-led vantage point.