The Society was formed on 24 November 1992 by a group of enthusiastic surgeons dedicated to develop and promote the applications of minimal access surgery. The objectives of the Society are:
(a) To promote the advancement of minimal access surgery and allied subjects.
(b) To co-ordinate and correlate the efforts of organisations, companies, associations, societies, institutions, statutory bodies and other authorities and individuals interested in minimal access surgery or allied subjects, in the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of disease with a view to reducing mortality therefrom in Hong Kong.
(c) To promote, foster, develop and assist medical and allied profession in the study of and the acquisition, dissemination and application of knowledge and information concerning minimal access surgery and allied subjects.
(d) To stimulate public interest and provide public education in the minimal access surgery and related subjects and to assist in keeping the medical profession in Hong Kong up to date in the latest development in the field of medical and scientific research.
(e) To encourage, assist and arrange for medical practitioners, scientists, students and others to come to Hong Kong for the purposes of research and study and for the purposes of teaching and demonstrating theory and practice related to the causes diagnosis and treatment.
(f) To encourage, assist and arrange for medical practitioners, scientists, students and others to travel abroad and engage in research study and training and to gain experience in minimal access surgery.
(g) To encourage, arrange for and assist medical practitioners, scientists students and others from Hong Kong and from aboard to undertake research in basic sciences of minimal access surgery and to acquire training in minimal access surgery.
(h) To encourage, arrange, form, promote, establish and support special dispensary facilities, infirmaries, clinics and institutions in minimal access surgery.
(i) To arrange or provide monetary assistance for and establish scholarships and make donations to students, medical practitioners, scientists and other persons for the purposes of teaching and demonstrating their professional skill in and knowledge of minimal access surgery.
(j) To undertake all such measures for the care, aid, protection, education, recreation and rehabilitation of persons suffering from diseases as the Council from time to time may determine.
(k) To build, establish, maintain, manage or operate hospitals, sanatoria, nursing homes, clinics, dispensaries, laboratories, research units and hostels.
Activities organized include regular inter-hospital clinical meetings, minimal access surgery workshops, joint meetings with regional surgical societies, and regional scientific congress (ELSA).