TELESURGERY: EVALUATION OF TRENDS AND ISSUES

Maria Jana Kingsley-Godwin

ABSTRACT

Objective –  To explore and examine the trends and issues in the adoption and use of telesurgery.

Methods –   Systematic review of the literature methods were used in retrieving and analysing data for this study. 

Results –   Surgical robot systems have been developed from the first functional telesurgery system-ZEUS-to the da vinci Surgical System, which is currently the only commercially available surgical robotic system.  Surgical robot systems have been developed from the first functional telesurgery system-ZEUS-to the da vinci Surgical System, which is currently the only commercially available surgical robotic system.  The cost of an operation through telesurgery is not precise but it must pay for the surgical system, the surgeon, and contribute to paying for a year’s worth of ATM technology which runs between $100,000-$200,000.  The Lindbergh operation, which was carried out on 7 September 2001 was the first complete tele-surgical operation carried out by a team of French surgeons located in New York on a patient in Strasbourg, France (over a distance of several thousand miles) using telecommunications solutions based on high-speed services and sophisticated Zeus Surgical Robot.  The speed of remote surgery is made possible through the “Asynchronous Transfer Mode” (ATM) technology.  Rapid development of technology has allowed remote surgery rooms to become highly specialised.  One of the limitations of telesurgery is that for now, telesurgery (remote surgery) is not a widespread technology in part because it does not have sponsorship by the governments. 

Conclusion -   Telesurgery or remote surgical approaches are surgical procedures carried out at a distance thanks to advances in robotic and computer technology and their applications to surgery.  However some practical trends and issues, including limitations of the tele surgical techniques were identified in this article with future developmental needs.

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