FNB · DrNB · PDCC
30 Minimal Access Surgery Thesis Topics
Academic session 2026-2027 · 30 topics
This page lists 30 minimal access surgery thesis topics for FNB, DrNB and PDCC candidates in India for the 2026-2027 academic session. Minimal access surgery generates precise operative metrics for every case — port placement, operative time, conversion, blood loss, length of stay — which makes comparative designs against open surgery and learning curve analyses both practical and well regarded.
The minimal access surgery thesis topics below are built on those metrics. They cover laparoscopic cholecystectomy and its complications, laparoscopic hernia repair, bariatric and metabolic surgery, minimally invasive upper gastrointestinal surgery, robotic assistance, and the learning curve and training questions central to a technical fellowship.
Click any topic to open it in the protocol generator with the title already filled in.
- A cross-sectional study of the bile duct injury rate and its determinants in laparoscopic cholecystectomyGet protocol
- An observational study of the conversion rate and its determinants in laparoscopic cholecystectomyGet protocol
- A comparative study of three-port and four-port laparoscopic cholecystectomy on perioperative outcomeGet protocol
- An observational study of port site complications following laparoscopic proceduresGet protocol
- A study of the outcome of single incision laparoscopic cholecystectomy versus standard techniqueGet protocol
- An observational study of the intraoperative cholangiography rate and bile duct injury detectionGet protocol
- A cross-sectional study of the outcome of laparoscopic common bile duct explorationGet protocol
- An observational study of the outcome of laparoscopic totally extraperitoneal hernia repairGet protocol
- A comparative study of laparoscopic totally extraperitoneal and transabdominal preperitoneal hernia repair on perioperative outcomeGet protocol
- A study of the recurrence rate and its determinants after laparoscopic inguinal hernia repairGet protocol
- An observational study of the laparoscopic repair of incisional hernia and its outcomeGet protocol
- A cross-sectional study of the early and late outcome of laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomyGet protocol
- An observational study of the weight loss and metabolic change at six months after bariatric surgeryGet protocol
- A study of the nutritional deficiency profile following sleeve gastrectomyGet protocol
- An observational study of the perioperative adverse event profile and its management in bariatric surgeryGet protocol
- A cross-sectional study of the outcome of laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass at six monthsGet protocol
- An observational study of the resolution of metabolic comorbidities following bariatric surgeryGet protocol
- A study of the laparoscopic anti-reflux procedure outcome in patients with gastro-oesophageal reflux diseaseGet protocol
- An observational study of the outcome of laparoscopic cardiomyotomy for achalasiaGet protocol
- A cross-sectional study of perioperative outcome of laparoscopic gastrectomy for gastric carcinomaGet protocol
- An observational study of the lymph node yield in laparoscopic gastric cancer surgeryGet protocol
- A study of the learning curve for laparoscopic cholecystectomy using cumulative sum analysisGet protocol
- An observational study of the learning curve for a defined advanced laparoscopic procedureGet protocol
- A cross-sectional study of the outcome of robotic-assisted procedures at a minimal access unitGet protocol
- An observational study of the technical outcomes and cost comparison of robotic versus laparoscopic surgeryGet protocol
- A study of simulation training outcomes and their correlation with operative performanceGet protocol
- An observational study of the ergonomic assessment of surgeons during laparoscopic proceduresGet protocol
- A cross-sectional study of patient satisfaction and functional recovery after laparoscopic versus open surgeryGet protocol
- An observational study of same-day discharge outcomes after laparoscopic cholecystectomyGet protocol
- A study of the intraoperative adverse events during laparoscopy and their managementGet protocol
Choosing a Minimal Access Surgery thesis topic
What distinguishes a minimal access surgery fellowship thesis from a general surgery one?
Operative metrics and technique-level analysis. Port placement, trocar site complications, operative time curves, conversion determinants, and the specific complications of laparoscopic approaches — bile duct injury, port site hernia, vascular injury — are within the fellowship's data and not routinely studied in general surgery.
Is a learning curve study appropriate for a fellowship thesis?
Yes, and it is particularly credible when done honestly. Cumulative sum analysis of operative time or complication rate as a function of case number is a recognised methodology and a fellowship period provides exactly the right number of cases. State the criterion used to define the plateau phase, since several methods exist.
What sample size is realistic?
A busy minimal access surgery unit performing five or more laparoscopic cases a day supports large numbers. Studies of laparoscopic cholecystectomy or hernia can accumulate two to three hundred cases over twelve months. Bariatric and oesophagogastric cases should be planned as series.
Thesis and protocol questions
How is a thesis topic different from a thesis protocol?
The topic is the title — the question a study sets out to answer, together with the population and the design. The protocol is the full document built around it: background, review of literature, aims and objectives, inclusion and exclusion criteria, sample size calculation, methodology, statistical plan, ethics considerations, consent documents and references. A topic is agreed with a guide first; the protocol is written afterwards and submitted to the institutional ethics committee.
When does a postgraduate thesis have to be submitted?
For most Indian postgraduate programmes the protocol is submitted within the first six months of joining, and the completed thesis is submitted at least six months before the final examination. Exact deadlines are set by the university, so the departmental circular for the current session takes precedence over any general timeline.
How is sample size decided for a postgraduate thesis?
Sample size follows from the primary objective, not the other way round. A prevalence study is powered from an expected proportion and an acceptable margin of error; a comparative study is powered from the expected difference between groups, the standard deviation, alpha and desired power. The figure should then be checked against the institution's actual case load for the study period, because a statistically ideal sample that cannot be recruited in the time available is not a workable plan.
Does a thesis topic need ethics committee approval?
Yes. Every postgraduate thesis involving human participants, human data or human samples requires clearance from the institutional ethics committee before data collection begins. Approval is granted on the protocol rather than on the title, and the submission usually includes the protocol, the participant information sheet and the consent form in English and in the local language.
What makes a topic realistic for a three-year postgraduate programme?
A workable topic can be completed at a single centre, with equipment and investigations that are already available in routine practice, within roughly eighteen months of data collection. Topics that depend on external funding, specialised assays, multicentre coordination or long follow-up tend to stall. Choosing a condition the department already sees in volume matters more than choosing a novel one.
Can a thesis be published as a research paper afterwards?
Yes, and it is generally expected. A thesis is usually condensed into a paper of around three to four thousand words, restructured into the standard introduction, methods, results and discussion format, with the review of literature shortened considerably. Journals differ in their requirements, and the ethics approval number from the original thesis is normally cited in the methods section.