Telesurgical consultation.

Abstract

We evaluated the feasibility of "telesurgical" consultation during laparoscopic surgery. Telesurgical consultation is a distinct application of telemedicine in which a surgeon at a primary operating site can consult another experienced surgeon or colleague for complex and/or unexpected problems encountered during surgery. Telesurgical consultation was used in 6 complex laparoscopic cases, including upper pole nephrectomy, diagnostic laparoscopy with inguinal hernia repair, orchiectomy, gastric augmentation with bladder suspension, bladder reconstruction and ureteral lithotomy. In each case an experienced laparoscopic surgeon at the primary operative site consulted a surgical specialist at the remote site who had expertise in the particular procedure being performed. All procedures were accomplished successfully without intraoperative or post-operative complications. Complex laparoscopic procedures that normally require a surgical specialist can be performed successfully by an experienced laparoscopic surgeon consulting a remote specialist via the tele-operative system.