Abstract: An apparatus for performing minimally invasive surgery, for example, percutaneous minimally invasive capsulotomy surgery. The apparatus includes a shaft, a blunt tip, a flange, an energy conductor and an active surgical element, which may be a cutting or heating element. The shaft has a first end and a second end and is generally stiff with a degree of flexure; the shaft may be curved along at least a substantial part of its length to facilitate navigating the blunt tip within a patient's body. The blunt tip is at the second end of the shaft and may be larger in diameter than the shaft and with a recessed area along a surface of the blunt tip. The flange is located at the second end of the shaft and is configured to receive a device that delivers energy, which may be in the form of heat, laser light, radio-frequency, or electricity. The energy conductor is disposed along the length of the shaft from the second end of the shaft to the recess, the energy conductor configured to conduct the energy.