The operating room of the future will be designed to have peri-operative integration of all imaging capabilities. Pre-operative planning will become increasingly important, as will integrated intra-operative neuro-navigation. The operative work space will be redesigned to have robotic capabilities. Operating rooms will be isolated. Self-contained modular and robotic monitoring will become remote through improved sensors. The operating microscope will disappear. Light and magnification will be supplied by means other than optical microscopes.