This paper describes and discusses the engineering knowledge, mainly production engineering knowledge, which is expected to be used for surgical support systems in the near future and beyond. With regard to artificial joint replacement, the paper discusses bone resection characteristics, focusing on the experimental results of cutting force and temperature rise. In addition, registration techniques, and measurement and resection accuracy are described. In the area of microsurgery, neurosurgery and ophthalmology are covered, and the introduction of AI is also introduced. In ophthalmology, the automation of peeling procedures is discussed. In remote surgery, experimental results on the relationship between force feedback and time delay, which is a crucial problem in remote surgery, are introduced. Furthermore, as future surgical support systems, the application of high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) and the use of microrobots are discussed. Finally, this paper describes the situations in which surgical robots are expected to play an active role.