With the development of minimally invasive techniques, colorectal surgery has made significant progress in recent years.Initially as a diagnostic tool, endoscopy has been used more and more often in the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders.Endoscopic Mucosal Resection(EMR)and Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection(ESD)are applied to the treatment of early-stage colorectal cancer, avoiding open or laparoscopic surgeries, and leaving no scar on the skin.With the improvement of operation skills, laparoscopy has been widely used in radical surgeries of colorectal cancer, and its feasibility and safety have already been proven by abundant clinical practices.Three-dimensional laparoscopy improves the surgeon’s field of vision, enhances the precision of operations.The advent of robotic surgical system has led to a new era for surgical operations, with remote surgeries performed successfully, dexterous procedures can be carried out laparoscopically in small spaces.Moreover, the conception of functionally minimal invasiveness has drawn more and more attention.Not only have surgeons been pursuing smaller incision and trauma, they also try to attain milder stress reaction and faster postoperative recovery.This paper reviews the development of minimally invasive techniques and conceptions in recent years, and gives an outlook of the application of minimally invasive surgery in colorectal operations.