Endoscopic surgery is not a recent development. In fact, the application of the Edison light bulb to the cystoscope in 1883 was followed by widespread use of endoscopy. In 1910, Jacobeaus proposed the diagnostic use of the cystoscope for investigation of serous cavities, and in 1922, he reported lysis of pleural adhesions to promote artificial pneumothorax in 40 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis. For the next 30 years, the thoracoscope was widely used for pneumolysis in tuberculosis patients, but its use waned considerably after the development of effective antibiotic treatment for tuberculosis. With the advent of laparoscopy, endoscopy has become popular again and here we review the application of endoscopic techniques in cardiovascular surgery.