Book excerpt: ​The first edition laid out the foundation with laparoscopic and robotic surgery utilizing the Da Vinci SI platform. Since then, many new advances in equipment and surgical techniques are becoming more popular. This second edition expands upon laparoscopic and endoscopic techniques and robotic surgery with the use of the new Da Vinci XI platform. This book bridges the gap between the practicing community of surgeons and the surgical innovators and provides a foundation for all classic and new techniques in minimally invasive colorectal surgery. By enhancing the surgical toolbox, the surgeon is able to progress from the novice to the master. Rather than describing the entire operative procedure by an individual author, this book compares operative steps of various technical difficulties throughout different chapters, thereby allowing the surgeon to tailor surgery to patient and surgeon`s own comfort level and experience. Chapters are written by a myriad of renowned experts in the field and discuss the major advances in advanced laparoscopic and endoscopic, robotic, and transanal minimally invasive surgical techniques. Great emphasis is placed on transanal total mesorectal excision (TaTME), which is dramatically changing the surgical approach to rectal resections. The second edition of Advanced Techniques in Minimally Invasive and Robotic Colorectal Surgery serves as a valuable resource to general surgeons, colon and rectal surgeons, minimally invasive surgeons, as well as residents and fellows.